


Throw Me Something, Mista

by muses_circle, xtremeroswellian



Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [7]
Category: Smallville, Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:00:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24044785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muses_circle/pseuds/muses_circle, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: Chloe tapped her foot nervously on the sidewalk as she sipped her latte, trying not to worry about Dean and Sam. It wasn't like they hadn't been doing this sort of thing long before she ever came into the picture. They could take care of themselves...she hoped. Feeling uneasy, she turned and found herself facing a taller black man with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Willing Sarah to remain in the cafe, her eyes hardened. "What the hell are you doing here?"Sarah turned, seeing who Chloe was talking to and paled considerably. The butterflies in her stomach tripled as she faced the man who'd been hunting the guys, Who had shook their tail... and come after them instead. She gripped Chloe's arm tightly and swallowed, saying nothing.Gordon smiled, a slow knowing grin. "Oh, you're a smart one," he commented idly, pulling out a small yet nasty-looking knife. "I always knew there was a better way to get to the Winchesters. Only a matter of time before I found their... weaknesses." He eyed Chloe and Sarah, a glint in his eye.
Relationships: Chloe Sullivan & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester/Chloe Sullivan, Sarah Blake (Supernatural) & Chloe Sullivan, Sarah Blake/Sam Winchester
Series: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1722754
Kudos: 1





	Throw Me Something, Mista

It had been a long three days since they had left that small Nebraska town, and by the time they'd gotten into New Orleans, the sun was setting over the bayou, casting an eerie light on the water. Everything looked like it had an aura, which wasn't far from the truth if you listened to the Voodoo practitioners in southern Louisiana, Dean thought, slowly traversing down the Elysian Fields towards the French Quarter. 

Sarah had insisted on paying for rooms this time, mentioning that she and Chloe both agreed they could use a decent place to sleep. Grudgingly, Dean agreed to this. "You sure about this Days Inn on Bourbon?" he asked her, glancing in the rearview mirror at her.

She nodded, yawning and stretching. "Yeah, the front desk clerk told me it's right on Bourbon Street. Can't miss it, he said." She cast a shy glance in Sam's direction. The last few nights they had shared a room together, and they both knew why. 

He smiled faintly back at her, wore out from the driving. It didn't used to get to him, but ever since his dad had died, everything took its toll more than normal. "How ya doin'?" he asked softly. 

Oblivious to the soft conversation in the backseat, Chloe gazed out the window at the passing scenery, feeling uneasy as they drove over a very long bridge toward the Quarter. 

"Better than you, looks like," Sarah replied, putting a gentle hand on his chest. "Looks like you probably need to sleep when we get there."

"Aw, come on," Dean protested, aware of the shudder than ran through Chloe's small frame. A similar chill seeped into his bones, as if the evil that ran rampant through this town was welcoming him. "Thought we'd eat some good Cajun food, look around." 

"You guys go right ahead," Sam told his brother, looking over at Sarah. "I think I could sleep for about two days personally." 

Sarah looked down and pulled away from him, feeling very much the third wheel if she was going to hang out with Chloe and Dean, who had definitely hooked up. They couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other, and as much as she was glad to see this, she found she didn't want to be without Sam. "Yeah, I'm kinda tired too."

Dean snorted knowingly and glanced at Chloe as he turned onto Bourbon Street. "How bout you, Chloe?" 

Sam smiled at Sarah and wound his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer so her head was resting on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. 

"Hmm?" Chloe blinked at the sound of her voice and slowly turned her head to look at him, a dazed expression on her face. 

"You wanna go out tonight?" Dean repeated, casting another look her way. He didn't like the look on her face, that thousand-yard stare. He was all too used to seeing that, and he began to think maybe coming here wasn't a good idea. 

"Yeah, sure," she murmured, nodding a little and then turning to look out the windshield. She shifted a little in her seat, still uneasy. 

The concerned frown settled on his features again. The last few days had been nice, being with Chloe like he'd always wanted... but with Gordon out there, the whole 'my brother's half a demon' thing, and God knows what to hunt in this town, Dean was getting tired of it all. The weight was becoming too much for him. Even turning into the above-ground parking lot for the hotel, he wondered how much more of this life he could take.

Parking the car, they all got out and Dean popped the trunk, pulling out not only his stuff but a couple extra bottles of holy water. 

Chloe watched him with questioning eyes. "Vampires?" she asked uncertainly. 

"Among other things." He threw each of them a bottle. "Just in case."

Sarah caught the bottle, a shudder crossing her face. 

Sam grimaced a little, recalling their last experience with vampires. He tucked the bottle into his coat pocket. "Maybe you guys should wait to head out and explore 'til daylight," he said uncertainly. 

Chloe glanced at him, a small smile on her face. 

Gazing back at her, Dean nodded. "Probably right. The last thing I need right now is fighting a vamp in public." Not that he couldn't use a good ass-kicking hunt, because it had been a few weeks.

Sensing some underlying trouble brewing, Sarah cleared her throat. "I'll just... go get the rooms," she said, pulling her bag over her shoulder as she walked off quickly. 

Frowning a little, Chloe quickly followed. "Hey...you okay?" she asked worriedly as she caught up. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sarah replied, not looking at her friend. "This place is just... creepy, ya know?" 

"I know. I feel it too," she admitted, tucking some hair behind her ear. "Hey." She reached out and rested a hand on the other woman's arm. "Um, I just wanna say...I'm sorry." 

"For what, Chlo?" she asked, casting a questioning look at the other woman as they reached the front desk. 

She waited until the man at the desk handed them their room keys. "Well, the whole...roommate situation." Her cheeks colored a little. "I should've asked if you were okay with it before..." 

Casting her friend a knowing, amused look, Sarah shook her head. "Don't worry about it, really. I can't tell you how happy I am for you, ya know." She smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's just... maybe I should have gotten an extra room... for me. By myself." She saw the guys coming towards them and looked down. She didn't want Sam to see the concern in her eyes. 

"If you want, I can bunk with you tonight. Dean'll deal." She gazed at her intently. 

She shook her head. "Might be a good idea. Better for Sam... so he'll get some sleep." She was about to say something else but shut her mouth again. Dean and Sam were in front of them.

"So, where are we?" Dean asked, looking at Chloe suggestively. 

"I think we all need some sleep," she told him, not quite meeting his eyes. 

"Amen to that," Sam murmured, rubbing his eyes tiredly. 

Surprisingly, Dean didn't argue with any of them. In fact, he couldn't believe how worn out he was, too. Blame it on the recent string of sleepless nights, maybe, but since he couldn't turn his mind off... "Okay," he replied and held out a hand towards Sarah.

She handed him a key to an adjoining room, then put a light hand on Sam's arm. "Get some sleep, okay?" she said, gazing at him with troubled, uncertain eyes. 

Sam glanced at her and then over at Chloe. "Are you two..." 

Chloe smiled faintly. "I think that'll be the best way for everyone to get some rest." 

Smiling slightly, Sarah whispered, "See you in the morning," and headed upstairs towards their room.

Kissing Chloe quickly on the cheek, he whispered in her ear, "We gotta talk... soon." He knew they needed to discuss the thing with Sam... and maybe Gordon. 

"I know," she admitted just as softly. She watched Sam head away, as well, before turning her attention back to Dean. Gazing at him intently, she gripped onto her bag. "What do you say we meet here in the lobby in about..." She looked at her watch. "Ten hours? That'll give us plenty of time to rest, and hopefully Sam and Sarah will still be asleep." 

Like I'm gonna sleep, he thought miserably, looking down into her eyes. "Works for me. Hopefully this place'll have free coffee, because that'll be early." He smirked slightly. "Get some sleep, okay?" 

"You too," she said softly, shaking her head a little when he wiggled his eyebrows. "You're incorrigible." 

Dean laughed. "It's why you love me," he replied with a knowing smirk, kissing her surprised mouth. Turning, he walked towards his room without waiting for a response. 

She watched him go, her eyes filled with warmth and a wry smile on her lips. He was right about that. 

Sam was already changed into his pajamas and under the covers in the far bed by the time Dean showed up. He yawned and closed his eyes. "Hey." 

Dean took one look at Sam's slumped frame and knew something was wrong. Running a hand through his hair, he closed the door. "Alright dude. Spill it." 

"Spill what?" 

"Whatever's bothering you," he said, sitting down on the other bed. "You look like you need a hug." He blinked in surprise: had he really just said that? 

A faint smirk touched his lips. "Chloe's definitely rubbing off on you." 

"In more ways than one," he mused with a smirk, wishing suddenly he was buried deep inside her. Missing her so much it physically hurt. "Seriously, you've been different since we left Nebraska. Don't think I haven't noticed." 

"I'm just...tired, man." 

He sighed heavily and looked towards the TV. "Know the feeling." He got up and grabbed his bag, going into the bathroom to change. It was suddenly a struggle to strip down to his boxers and t-shirt, but somehow he managed.

Sam was still awake when he got out of the bathroom, though his face still looked like he'd just eaten really disgusting mud. "I have a feeling we'll be busy while we're here," Dean said, crawling into bed. 

"No doubt about that. All the weird stuff down here?" He shook his head a little. 

He chuckled. "Yeah, remember that huge nest of vamps we took out the last time we were here with...?" He closed his eyes, fighting back the wave of anger he felt towards his father for dying. 

Sam fell silent, swallowing hard as he stared up at the ceiling. "I miss him," he whispered after a long moment. 

"Me, too," he murmured, his hands clasped behind his head as he, too, stared at the ceiling. 

He was quiet for another few minutes, then softly, "Dean?" 

"Yeah, little brother?" he asked, worried at the depth of emotion in Sam's voice. 

"You know it's not your fault, right?" 

Dean closed his eyes. The hell it wasn't his fault. If he had just died, Dad would still be alive. "Don't know what you're talking about, Sammy," he joked, though there was nothing light in his voice. 

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," he said quietly, still staring at the ceiling. 

Sighing, Dean frowned. Sam knew him too well; it was scary how he could almost read his mind. "I should have died that day, man." 

"Don't say that." His voice was strained. 

"Why not?" he said flatly. "It's true. Dad should be here with you, not me." Even as he spoke those words, he regretted them. Because it wasn't entirely true. They should all be alive and hunting together. Dad should be there to meet their women. 

Sam flinched, his eyes welling with unshed tears. "No, we should all be here together, dammit." 

"Stop reading my mind, will ya?" he retorted, attempting to be funny. "We should. Dad should... dammit, he just should." In his frustration, he pounded the bed with a fist. 

He slowly sat up, looking at his brother. "I know." 

No you don't, Sammy, Dean thought, glancing at his brother's face. Sitting up himself, he stared at his brother with a smirk. "So you and Sarah been getting it on the last few days?" 

Sam didn't even crack a smile or roll his eyes. "We can't avoid it forever, Dean." 

"The hell we can't," he grumbled, lying back down. "Dad's dead. Leave it alone." He sure as hell wasn't going to spill what he knew, that was for sure. Dad would probably come back from the dead to kick his ass. "This mean you're not gonna tell me about Sarah?" he asked, changing the subject again. 

His jaw tensing a little, Sam stood up and headed across the room to the bathroom. Changing into regular clothes once more, he reappeared and headed for the door. 

"Good, go angst somewhere else!" Dean shouted, watching his brother reach for the doorknob. He wanted many things, but talking about Dad wasn't one of them. 

Without responding, Sam disappeared from the room, slamming the door shut behind him loudly. 

Rubbing a hand over his face, Dean rolled onto his side, squeezing his eyes shut. He knew, though, that sleep wouldn't find him tonight. He only hoped they had espresso at this joint.

&&&&&

Though Sarah appreciated Chloe's presence in the hotel room, she still remained silent as she changed into her nightclothes. 

Chloe was unusually silent, as well. There was a growing sense of doom she felt weighing on her shoulders and she didn't know exactly what it was or how to get rid of it. All she knew was she didn't like it. She sat down on her bed without changing her clothes, a soft sigh escaping her. 

Sarah slipped into bed, pulling the covers over her head, trying to hide from... she didn't know what. She stared at Chloe's slouching shoulders and sighed herself. "So I know what's wrong with me, but how about you, Chloe?" 

"I don't know," she said softly. "Just...have a bad feeling. That's all." 

Sarah smiled grimly. "This place *is* kinda creepy, isn't it?" She looked at the window, bright with the myriad of colors from the signs and neon billboards outside. "Glad we didn't go out after all." 

"Yeah me too," Chloe admitted, unable to shake the uneasiness she felt. 

Chloe was unsettling her even more than she already was, and it worried Sarah that something was seriously wrong. Something she knew or suspected. "What aren't you telling me?" she whispered, her nerves slowly bunching into knots. 

Her own stomach tightened. "Nothing. Just...weirded out. Heard a lot about this town and most of it… not good." 

"Tell me about it," she replied. "My research on the cult religions in this area... scare me. Vampires are the least of our problems." She glanced at the window again, wishing she was in Sam's arms. At least there, she felt safer. 

She flinched a little at the mention of cult religions. Before she had a chance to respond, she heard the loud slam of a door from the room beside them. Now what? she wondered warily, glancing at Sarah before rising to her feet. "I'll be right back." 

"Okay," she replied, sitting up a little in concern. Sam and Dean must have argued, she assumed, watching Chloe leave the room. She only wondered who left this time. 

Chloe made it out of the room in time to see Sam disappear down the corridor. Sighing softly, she knocked lightly on the door to Dean's room and then walked in without waiting for a response. 

"Sam, I'm really not in the mood for this, dammit," Dean retorted, still lying on his side and not seeing who had walked in the door. Turning around, he bolted out of bed. "Chloe?" 

"What's going on?" She folded her arms across her chest. 

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded, staring back at her. 

"Well, Sam just stormed outta here and slammed the door shut." 

"Great," he muttered, sliding a hand through his hair. "Sam brought up Dad, okay?" 

Chloe gazed at him. "Yeah, and....?" 

"And what do you think, Chloe?" he said flatly. "I don't wanna talk about it." Like he could tell Sam what he didn't need to know. 

"You might not want to. But you need to," she said quietly, holding his gaze. 

"Yeah, I can see it now. Hey Sammy, did you know you're half-demon? Dad told me that just before he dropped dead to save my sorry ass." He began to pace around the room. "Think that would go over well?"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He strode across the room and yanked it open. Sarah stood on the other side, in her bathrobe, her eyes wide. "Sarah?"

"Is... Sam okay?" she whispered, wrapping her arms around her waist. She'd heard Dean's shouting through the walls and knew something was wrong. 

Chloe gazed at her with a faint, somewhat worried smile. "Sam headed down the stairs," she said softly. "If you hurry you can probably catch him. I imagine he could use someone to talk to." 

Her face lit up a little. "Thanks, Chloe." Turning, she walked quickly down the hallway and the stairs, searching for the youngest Winchester.

Slamming the door, Dean turned back to Chloe. "So Sam's got someone to talk to now." She crossed his arms, not meeting her scrutiny. 

"So do you," she informed him. 

He cocked an eyebrow but said nothing. What was there to say? he mused, his eyes glued to the floor. "Maybe." 

"Maybe?" Chloe echoed. 

"Okay, fine. I do... happy now?" He looked up at her, fire in his eyes. "Is this the part where we bond, braid each others' hair and hug? Because there's nothing to say, dammit! My dad is dead, my brother is part demon, and I'm afraid that Gordon's followed us here!!" 

She gazed at him without flinching. "So which do you prefer talking about first?" 

He turned his back to her, afraid that if he kept looking at her, he'd make her shut up by kissing until neither of them could think straight. "I don't know." 

"What makes you think Gordon followed us?" she asked quietly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed nearest the door, not realizing it was his anyway. 

"Instinct." It was nothing he could put his finger on. He had just known. Gordon was after him and Sam. He'd followed them from Nebraska. He just... knew. 

Chloe held his gaze, wondering if that was why she herself felt so unsettled since arriving in Louisiana. "What do we do?" 

"Besides keep Sammy the hell away from him?" he asked, his eyes intense with determination. 

"How long do you really think that's going to be possible?" she asked, rising to her feet once more, not looking away. 

Wild horses couldn't make him look away from her; she was looking at him as if her very life depended on it. "I really don't know, Chlo. This guy's a master tracker, and after what we did to him..." He grimaced at the memory. 

"Then we better have a backup plan," Chloe said very quietly. 

Standing up, he moved across the room and closed his eyes. "I'm beginning to wonder if... we should split up." It killed him to say that, but maybe it would be best... though what if Gordon went after Sam, instead? 

All the air left her lungs. "What do you..." She stared at him in shock. 

He turned to face Chloe. "Think about it. Gordon's after me and Sammy. I think he wants Sam's blood more than mine, so what if we somehow got Sam out of here and I managed to get Gordon off his trail?" He saw her utterly blank look and sighed. "Yeah, I can't leave him, either." 

"I think we're better off all sticking together," she said quietly. "Especially since Sam doesn't know...and it's not like you'd get him to agree to that either." 

"I know. It was... a stupid idea. Knowing Sam, he'd wanna take this guy full on, and I for one am all for that." A glint of determination entered his eyes as he moved towards her. 

"At this point I'm not sure there's going to be a way to avoid it." 

Standing before her, Dean grasped her arms gently. "No, it's inevitable." Sighing gently, he pulled her into his arms. "I don't know if I can keep this from my brother," he said after several tense moments. 

She was quiet for a minute, her hands gently smoothing the tense muscles in his back. 

Dean laid his forehead gently against hers. "Chloe, I... I don't know how to... I mean... oh, shit." He just realized, if Sam didn't know, then Sarah wouldn't, either. How was he going to protect them both? 

Frowning a little, she moved her hands up to rest on his shoulders. "Maybe you should tell them," she said gently. 

He swallowed visibly. "How can I, Chloe? I told Sam that Dad didn't tell me anything before he died." Lying to him then had been hard enough: how would telling them the truth be any better? 

"If you were Sam...wouldn't you wanna know?" Chloe asked softly. 

Dean remained silent, knowing deep down inside that he'd want to know. That he'd kick Sam's ass if he ever kept something like this from him. "They'll have to know, but it's not like Sam's talking to me." 

"Because you're not talking to him." She gave him a look and moved to sit down on the edge of his bed once more. 

"I can't make him understand it's my damn fault Dad's dead!" His voice was hard, filled with that weariness that had colored the last few days. 

"Because it's not." Her voice was sharp. 

"The hell it isn't," he retorted painfully. 

"Dean, your dad did what he did because he's your dad. Because he loved you." 

"If Dad loved me so much, he'd have let me died." He turned away from her, not able to take her reaction from his words. 

Hot tears stung her eyes at his words but she blinked them back. "That's not how love works," she said quietly, moving toward the door because she sensed he didn't want her there. 

"How does it work?" he whispered, mostly to himself. When he heard her move, however, he whispered, "Please stay." He couldn't admit the depth of his hurt and anger, and he wished he could convey this to Chloe. 

She paused at the door, but didn't turn to face him. "It means...sacrificing." 

Sacrificing. He blinked, his eyes wide open as he realized something. He loved his brother and would die for him: hell, he'd give both arms if it meant Chloe's safety. If that was love, then... "Sacrificing," he repeated, not turning to look at her. Unwanted tears sprung to his eyes and he wiped them away hastily. 

She slowly turned to face him. "Yes," she whispered. 

It wasn't fair, he thought, a tear slipping down his cheek. Why did loving someone usually mean one of them died? "Not fair," he muttered to himself, unaware that Chloe had taken a couple steps closer to him. 

"I know it's not," she said softly, resting her head on his back and sliding her arms around his waist. 

His hands found hers and moved her around so she was facing him. Wordlessly, he leaned down and kissed her, no longer caring whether she saw his tears or not. "Does this mean I'll have to tell Sam I'm sorry?" he whispered a little brokenly, trying to be cute. 

Chloe lifted a hand to his cheek, her heart breaking for him as she gently wiped his tears away. "I'm so sorry, Dean," she whispered. 

Closing his eyes, Dean Winchester pulled Chloe to him and buried his head in her shoulder. And wept. Holding onto her tightly. His lifeline. Letting go of the hurt so he could make amends. Whatever the cost. Because... he loved them and knew he had to protect them.

&&&&&

It didn't take Sarah long to find Sam. He was downstairs in the hotel bar, sitting in the darkest corner with an even darker on his face. Tightening the belt of her robe, she hesitantly approached him. 

Sam stared blankly at the untouched beer in front of him, not noticing Sarah's approach. He didn't understand why Dean wouldn't talk to him about Dad. They both needed to talk about it. 

"Sam?" she whispered, sitting down across from him, worried that he was obviously so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed her. She cleared her throat louder, as she didn't want to completely startle him. 

He blinked a couple times and lifted his gaze to hers. "Hey...I thought you were sleeping?" 

"Couldn't. Kinda hard to when... I just couldn't." She shrugged, never moving her gaze from his. "Why are you down here, Sam?" She figured he'd fought with Dean, but the despairing look in his eyes spoke of a pain she might not be able to heal. 

"I don't know why I even bother talking to him." 

She knew it. "Dean, you mean?" she whispered, her eyes burning with worry and sadness. She started to reach across the table to touch him but faltered. He was too much inside himself. 

"It's like...I don't know...something's not right. And it's not just because Dad's gone, there's something else. I can feel it. And he won't talk to me." 

"I know, Sam. I feel it too," she whispered, looking down at her hands and playing with her fingernails. She had a sneaking suspicion Chloe knew whatever it was Dean was hiding, too. 

"What do you..." His voice trailed off and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. "You think he's told Chloe whatever it is?" 

She said nothing, yet her sad eyes told the tale of her theory as she stared back at him, troubled by the thought of being left out of the loop. 

His jaw tensed a little and he looked at the table once more. "I don't know what to do." 

She stood up and sat down next to him, grasping his hand in comfort. "Gang up on them and make them tell?" she teased sadly, wishing there was something she could do to honestly help him out. "I'm sure there's a reason..." Her words drifted off, suddenly angry. 

"Yeah. Maybe," he murmured doubtfully, rising to his feet and taking his her hand. 

"Where we going?" she asked as she stood. She didn't like the look in his eyes. 

"Back upstairs.”

She shivered in fear at the resolution in his voice. She tried to pull her hand out of his, but he wouldn't let go. She gave up and allowed herself to be nearly pulled up the stairs. 

Sam headed straight for the room he was sharing with Dean, reluctantly letting go of Sarah's hand as he twisted the doorknob and walked in without knocking. 

The sound of the door slamming against the inside wall scared the living hell out of Dean. Pushing Chloe behind him, he whipped out his gun, wiping his tears away as he pointed it towards the door. And saw Sam on the other side, looking like he was about to kill himself. "Sammy?" he asked miserably.

From behind Sam, Sarah stood, her arms wrapped around herself. She felt like returning to her room, but there was no way she was going to leave Sam to do this alone. Despite her unsettled feelings, she went into the room and stood beside Sam. 

The look of despair on his brother's face made most of the anger slip right out of him. "What's going on?" He looked from Dean to Chloe. 

Embarrassed now that Sam had caught him at a weak moment, Dean dropped the gun and threw it onto the bed. "What does it look like?" he retorted, the despair evident in his voice. 

Chloe swallowed hard, and rested a hand on his arm. "Sarah and I are gonna..." She nodded toward the door, then kissed his cheek softly. 

Touching Sam's arm, Sarah nodded, eyes on Chloe as she turned away.

Dean looked at her, not wanting her to leave. It was to the point to where they needed to hear this, too. 

"You guys need to be alone, Dean," she whispered. 

"Fine." He turned towards the window and walked towards it. He heard the door click shut softly and sighed. 

Sam remained by the door, silent, and staring at his brother's back intently. 

Dean took a deep breath, uncertain where to begin. "I'm sorry, Sammy." He kept his eyes on the goings on outside the window, scanning for any sign of their "friend". 

Of all the things he expected Dean to say, that would have been right at the very bottom of the list. "For...what?" 

"For everything, little brother," he whispered brokenly. "For... everything." The tears were gone, but his self-loathing still remained. 

Feeling lost, Sam slowly moved over and sat down on the bed. 

It took him a few moments, but he was finally able to get the words out. "Gordon's here. In New Orleans. Looking for us." 

Stunned, he stared at his brother. "What? You saw him?" 

"No, I haven't seen him," he replied flatly. "Your psychic visions aren't working for you?" 

"You know it doesn't work like that, Dean," he said tensely. 

"I know, Sammy," he replied, his eyes never straying from the window. "He's here, I can feel it." 

"Great." He ran a hand over his face, trusting his brother’s instincts without question. 

Suddenly, Dean saw something out of his peripheral vision. Something that had slipped around the corner as if trying to remain unnoticed. It looked like Gordon. "I think I just saw him, man," he replied, pulling away from the curtain and going for his jacket. 

"What?" Sam rose to his feet, alarmed. 

"Dude, stay here and keep an eyes on the girls. I'm going hunting." He shrugged into his jacket quickly and pulled out his gun, smiling that it was loaded and ready. 

"Dean, this is a bad idea," he protested, watching his brother head for the door. 

A frown on his face, he turned around to look at Sam. "Until we find something to hunt and kill here, what else are we gonna do?" The unbidden thought of he and Chloe tangled together naked on the hotel bed crept across his mind, making him smile a fraction. 

"How about get some sleep?" he suggested in frustration. 

His fingers twitched, anxious to get his hands wrapped around Gordon's throat. Gordon, who had pretended to be a friend and yet had turned on him in the end. Gordon, who wasn't that different from himself. He looked down. "Can't sleep, Sam. Too much on my mind." Too much he couldn't tell his own brother. Oh, how he hated his father for that. 

"So you're just gonna go after Gordon alone?" 

He gave Sam a look. "Yeah, I'm just gonna grab my invisibility cloak and follow him to his lair." He shook his head. "You're too tired, dude, and Chloe and Sarah... they shouldn't be out there right now." 

"And neither should you, Dean." 

"But I wanna go hunting, dude." His voice held the slightest hint of a whine, but he made no move to leave. 

"We'll go tomorrow. We'll find something to go after. It won't be hard, I’m sure." 

Sighing, Dean shook his head and took off his jacket, lying it on the chair by his bed. "This place is crawling with evil," he muttered, flopping back onto the bed. "Hell, how much you wanna bet Dad's got something in his journal?" 

"Probably more than something," he answered, relaxing as he realized Dean was actually backing down for once. 

He cocked an eyebrow and looked at his brother. "Been memorizing Dad's journal again, Sammy?" A wry smirk touched his lips. 

A faint smile touched his own lips as he flopped down onto the other bed. "Maybe." 

"Alright, little brother. Why are we here?" Dean couldn't suppress a chuckle at Sam's knowing reply. Clearly things had not progressed as far between his brother and Sarah as he'd thought. 

"Uh, because Chloe said she'd never been and Sarah agreed?" He smirked a little. 

He snorted. "Well, duh, Captain Obvious. I meant... what has Dad written about this place, I mean, aside from the vamps crawling all over the place?" It was probably the reason Gordon was in New Orleans, but Dean still believed he'd followed them. 

"Zombies, Hoodoo practitioners, black magic, possessions...take your pick, Dude." 

"How about all of the above? We'll show the girls a good time and hunt us some freaks." 

Sam smiled a bit and looked up at the ceiling. "Works for me. We could be here awhile." 

A faint knowing smile crossed Dean's lips at his brother's thoughtful response. "Would that be such a bad thing?" he asked slowly. "I know there are a lot of places you could show to certain... people." He fully intended to make himself busy utilizing those places with Chloe. 

He snorted. "You have a one-track mind." 

"Oh come on, dude. Like you don't," he smirked. "Beautiful girl like Sarah?" 

Sam rolled his mind. "There's more to her than that, you know." His voice was quiet. 

Dean shook his head. "Aware of that, Sam. Question is, are you ready to take her on?" They hadn't talked much about his girlfriend Jess, but Dean always wondered how his brother could handle losing someone he loved. 

He drew in a breath, falling silent for a moment. "Jess...wouldn't want me to be alone forever," he whispered almost inaudibly. "And I love Sarah." 

Dean bit back a grin. "About damn time, man." 

"I just..." 

He held up a hand. "You don't have to explain. They way you two look at each other is a dead giveaway." 

"No, I just...I'm afraid to get...too involved," he admitted very softly. 

"Not surprising," he whispered, knowing all too well what his brother was talking about. It was much too late for him. "I'm in way over my head, myself." He sighed and put an arm over his eyes. 

"Yeah, I figured that out." 

He smiled ruefully but said nothing. 

"I like Chloe. I think she's good for you." 

"Why, because I'm more open to chick flick moments?" he teased, moving his arm to look at his brother. 

Sam chuckled. "No, it's just...I don't know. You seem...happier around her." 

He blinked in surprised and grinned. "What, I'm not a happy guy?" he protested. 

"Lately? No." 

"Could say the same for you, Sammy," he replied, not denying his brother's comment. "At least you smile when Sarah's around." 

Sam smiled faintly. "Hard not to. She's great." 

Dean opened his mouth to speak when he heard a light rap on the door. He smirked at Sam. "You gonna get that?" he asked, yawning and stretching. 

"Somehow I'm betting it's for you, "he said with a smirk. 

He stood up, smiling. "Chloe isn't one for knocking." He pulled the door open and saw Sarah standing on the other side, her face pale and uncertain.

"Hey, Dean," she said shyly, looking around his body and into the room. "Sam in there?" 

"I'm here." Sam sat up quickly. 

"Oh good," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes as she looked down.

Dean rolled his eyes when his brother didn't make a move. "Sammy, come answer the door." He offered her a wry smile, as if to say my brother, the Romeo. 

He moved to the door. "Hey, come on in." He took her gently by the arm, and gave Dean a look. "I'm sure Chloe wouldn't mind a visit." 

He didn't have to be told twice. With a gleeful grin he let Sarah pass by and left the room immediately, leaving Sarah alone with his brother.

"Are you... okay?" she whispered, the tears still shining in her eyes. 

Wordlessly Sam slid his arms around her, pulling her close to him. "Yeah, I'm okay," he whispered, resting his hand on the back of her head gently. "Dean actually apologized for bein' a jerk." 

Sarah curled her arms around his waist and held him, letting go of her sadness. "He did?" she asked with a small smile, rubbing her nose into his chest. She felt the relief wash over her. 

"He did." He kissed the top of her head softly. 

An involuntary sob escaped her, despite the feeling of peace she felt. "You're really okay, then? Because... you were so... intense earlier." 

He shut his eyes, holding onto her a little more tightly. "I'm okay. I promise." 

She clung to him for a long moment before the awkwardness set in. She loved him, but she still felt a chasm between them. "Did you and Dean talk things through?" she whispered. 

"Not exactly," he admitted. "But...enough for now, I guess." 

She frowned, staring into his sad brown eyes. "You think he'll ever totally open up about your father?" 

"Knowing Dean?" He smiled sadly. "No." 

Sarah touched his cheek gently. "You know I'm here if you ever need to talk," she said sadly, knowing she was a lousy substitute for his brother. 

"I know," he said softly, kissing her gently on the lips. "Thank you." 

She leaned into his kiss, then pulled away reluctantly out of his arms. "So I guess you're stuck with me until..." She nodded towards the adjoining room with a look. 

"'Til tomorrow?" he said with a wry smile. 

She sat down into one of the chairs a little awkwardly. "Could be." Her face flushed as she looked into his eyes. 

"Knowing my brother? At least." He shook his head a little. "We could see if there's any movies on if you want." 

She smiled, shifting a little. "Sure, we could do that. I think this thing has cable." She fumbled for the remote control and turned on the TV. 

He smiled back at her and settled on his bed, his back against the headboard. 

&&&&&

Chloe walked alongside Dean as they headed around St. Louis Cathedral, taking in the sights. There was a lot to see, but she still couldn't shake the wary feeling resting upon her shoulders as she looked around. She smiled a bit as she realized Sam and Sarah were holding hands, barely any space between them. They're cute together, she decided. 

Dean's grip tightened on Chloe's hand, feeling her tension and yet, understanding exactly where it was coming from. He saw Gordon last night and knew he was nearby. Lurking somewhere in the shadows of the day. He saw Chloe look behind them and couldn't help smiling. "I'm glad," he whispered in her ear, nipping at her earlobe a little.

Sarah, oblivious to the sights around her because of Sam's presence, caught Chloe's look and colored a little. She squeezed his hand, grateful for the time they had spent together the night before. 

Sam glanced down at her and smiled, squeezing her hand in return. "So what do you think of New Orleans so far?" he asked softly. 

Her cheeks stained a darker shade of red. "I totally forgot where we were," she replied, looking into his brown eyes and wordlessly spoke to him of her love for him with her own eyes. 

His smile widened a little at her soft admission and he paused, turning to face her and placing a soft kiss on her lips. 

Shaking her head a bit in amusement, Chloe grinned. 

"Get a room, you two," Dean called back to them, amusement in his voice as he watched Chloe's reaction. 

"Leave 'em alone," she whispered, nudging him lightly in the ribs. 

"Yeah, leave us alone," Sarah replied, agreeing with Chloe before kissing Sam again.

Leaning down, Dean brushed his lips against Chloe's ear and said, "You gonna kiss me and make it all better?" He playfully rubbed the spot where she'd elbowed him. 

She shivered at the feel of his lips on her earlobe. "If you don't stop it I'm gonna end up doing more than kissing you," she mumbled. 

"That's kinda the idea," he growled and nibbled on her earlobe again, his body tense with need for her. His body froze in place, however, when he noticed a tall, dark figure disappear around the corner, just feet from them. 

Sarah nearly bumped into Dean and Chloe, who had stopped suddenly. She blinked, surprised. "What's going on?" she asked. 

"Is that..." Chloe's voice was quiet, tense as she looked at Dean worriedly. 

"Dean? What is it?" 

"Gordon." His voice was hard and dark. He turned around, eyes on Sam. "Stay here." He let go of Chloe's hand with one last squeeze. 

"No way I'm letting you go after Gordon by yourself," Sam said in disbelief. 

He looked at the girls before turning his gaze back on his brother. "Who's going to keep an eye on Chloe and Sarah?" he demanded in a low, threatening voice. "With that maniac on the loose, there's no way we can leave them alone."

Sarah frowned. "Now hang on a second..." 

Chloe knew this wasn't about them as much as it was about his fear of keeping Sam safe and as far away from Gordon as possible. Still, she hated the words that came from his mouth even as she understood them. 

Sam glanced at the girls, his face determined. "You two head into that cafe back there. We'll be back." 

Dean glared at his brother, who looked like he was about to punch him out if he protested. But unless he told Sam what he really was in front of God and everyone, Dean didn't have a choice but to let Sam come with him. And hate himself forever if Gordon took him. "Fine, Sammy. You get hurt, though, and I'll kick your ass."

Sarah's mouth remained down-turned, despite the fact that she knew she and Chloe could take care of themselves. Letting go of Sam's hand, she whispered, "Be careful, okay?" 

"I will." He kissed her quickly and headed after his brother, racing through the crowd. 

Snaking an arm through Chloe's as they watched the brothers' heads disappear into the crowd. "Want a latte, Chlo? My treat?" she asked, trying to keep the tone light, despite the nagging feeling that there was a lot more to this chase than Dean and Chloe had told them. 

The last thing she wanted was a latte. Or anything else for that matter. She was half-tempted to chase after the Winchesters herself, but she couldn't leave Sarah there alone. "Sure," she murmured, her heart beating quickly in her chest as she stared into the crowd where the guys had disappeared. 

Dean knew Sam was behind him, and he couldn't very well whip out his gun in broad daylight. All he could do was trail after Gordon, who he swore he saw duck behind the bushes facing St. Louis Cathedral. 

"Where the hell did he go?" Sam asked, scanning the crowd as he caught up to his paused brother. 

"Good question," he replied, scanning the crowd but finding no sign of the vampire hunter. "Damn, must be losing my touch." 

"Damn," he whispered, feeling uneasy as he looked at his brother. 

Scanning the crowd, damning their luck for having lost him, Dean looked back at his brother. "Let's get back to the girls, dude." He took off, practically running towards the small cafe where they'd left Chloe and Sarah. 

&&&&&

Chloe tapped her foot nervously on the sidewalk as she sipped her latte, trying not to worry about Dean and Sam. It wasn't like they hadn't been doing this sort of thing long before she ever came into the picture. They could take care of themselves...she hoped. Feeling uneasy, she turned and found herself facing a taller black man with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Willing Sarah to remain in the cafe, her eyes hardened. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

Sarah turned, seeing who Chloe was talking to and paled considerably. The butterflies in her stomach tripled as she faced the man who'd been hunting the guys, Who had shook their tail... and come after them instead. She gripped Chloe's arm tightly and swallowed, saying nothing.

Gordon smiled, a slow knowing grin. "Oh, you're a smart one," he commented idly, pulling out a small yet nasty-looking knife. "I always knew there was a better way to get to the Winchesters. Only a matter of time before I found their... weaknesses." He eyed Chloe and Sarah, a glint in his eye. 

If possible Chloe's eyes darkened even more. Right then she wished more than anything she'd had Lois' fighting ability--or hell--even that she was skilled in Lana-Fu. She put an arm out slowly, keeping Sarah slightly behind her. "Leave them alone." 

He crossed his arms, the knife hidden by the wide span of his biceps. "Why? They're just so interesting to watch." His smile became a leer as his gaze settled on Sarah. "Gonna be lots of fun watching them when I take you two."

Sarah wanted to shudder but fought back the bile rising in her chest. She wouldn't give him any sign of her fear. She moved to stand next to Chloe and glared at him. "Wanna watch them come back any second and kick your ass?" she retorted. 

"Sarah." Her voice was soft as she spotted the gun on Gordon's right hip, just peaking out from beneath his coat. 

"No, Chloe, I'm not gonna --" Her words faded as she followed Chloe's line of sight. And trembled. He was going to take them, she thought miserably.

"Yeah, that's right, girls," he replied with a satisfied smirk. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll walk outside this cafe and into the car parked outside." 

Her teeth gritted together, she glared at him hatefully but held onto Sarah's arm and slowly led her out to the car, her gaze darting around hoping the guys were on their way back. But no such look. The feel of cold steel at her back pissed her off more, but also sent a chill of fear through her. If he was as ruthless as Dean said, they were in trouble. 

&&&&&

It seemed like an eternity since they had left the girls, but Dean managed to get them back to the point where they'd split up. He looked across the street at the cafe, noticing a black sedan pulling away from the cafe. He frowned when he didn't see them in front of the door. "Come on, Sam. Maybe they're inside." A growing sense of panic blossomed in his mind as it seemed coincidental they had lost Gordon's trail and then the girls weren't waiting for them. 

Sam was a step ahead of him, scanning the cafe with a growing sense of panic. "Dean--" 

"Where the fuck are they, Sam?" he whispered when he didn't see them. "What -- FUCK!!!" His roar of sheer anger attracted several glances from the people around them, but he ignored the funny looks he got. "They're gone... Oh shit..." He ran a hand through his hair, cursing himself. 

"I shoulda stayed with them," Sam whispered, shutting his eyes as guilt hit him. 

Dean whirled around and glared at his brother. "Don't start that, dammit. This isn't your fault." Deep down, he was glad. Because while the girls might be missing, at least he knew Gordon wouldn't hurt them. Not like he would have hurt Sam. Moving out of the crowd, he whispered, "We need to figure out where he's got them." 

"Great. In a city this size, they could be anywhere," he mumbled, rubbing a hand over his eyes. Despite what Dean had said, if he had stayed with them, they'd be safe and not with that sadistic son of a bitch. 

They headed back to the hotel in a thoughtful silence. Dean knew Sam was berating himself for not staying put with Chloe and Sarah. He wished there was something he could do to help his brother, but he wasn't ready to deal with the fallout of Sam finding out he was part-demon. He still didn't understand how Dad even knew that... or how something like that could have happened. "Look, Sam, you know how Gordon's got this thing for abandoned places? What if he's keeping them outside the city?" 

Distracted by his fears and guilt, he barely heard his brother. "Yeah. Maybe." He swallowed hard, feeling vaguely ill. 

Stopping just outside the hotel front lobby, Dean whirled around and snagged his fingers in Sam's face. "Dude, you have to snap outta it! Have the Sammy Pitty Party later, will ya, and help me out here?" His annoyance covered his own self-flagellation. Sam had been right all along: going after Gordon headlong without a plan was a bad idea. This was why. He felt the cold finger of death crawl up his spine. 

"Where the hell do we even start, Dean?" 

"I have no idea," he admitted, closing his eyes against the torrent of emotion that threatened to overtake him. And nearly jumped out his skin when he felt his cell phone start ringing. "Hello?" he demanded when he answered it. Looking at Sam with angry eyes. 

Sam stared at him. 

"Hello, Dean," Gordon said with fake pleasantness in his voice. "I think you're missing something, aren't you?" 

"You sonofabitch," Dean snarled into his phone. "If you've hurt a hair on either of them..." 

He chuckled into the phone. "I haven't...yet." 

Dean sucked a breath in, as if he had been slashed across the heart. Staring at Sam, he replied, "Where are you? What the fuck do you want?" 

"All in good time, Dean. Relax," Gordon said with a smirk. "I think you know what I want." 

"Fuck you, no." He saw Sam's questioning glance and hastily looked away. Damn Gordon. "Why, you miserable bastard?" 

"Because you know what he is," he said darkly. "So...it's your choice. Him for the two of them." 

Meeting Sam's worried gaze again, Dean knew he couldn't choose... but he had to. How could he trade his brother for the women they both loved? What kind of selfish bastard was he? "Fine," he ground out. "Where, when?" 

"Not so fast. I know how you work. I'll call you back." Smirking, Gordon hung up. 

"Fuck!" He nearly broke his phone in two as he slammed open the front lobby, making for his room. 

"Dean, what the hell is going on? What does he want?" Sam followed close behind his brother, his heart beating rapidly. 

He couldn't answer and bit back the string of curses that threatened to spring from his voice. Once they were in the hotel room, he shut the door behind them and began pacing the room. 

"Tell me what the hell's going on!" 

"Gordon wants a trade." His voice was hard with anger and the frustration of a man on the edge. 

Sam's eyebrows furrowed for a moment. "He took the girls cause he's pissed at you for beating him up?" 

Dean sighed and took a deep breath. "Sure, Sammy. Why not? I've been threatened and abused for much less." 

He stared at his brother, sensing something was off. "What aren't you telling me?" 

He couldn't meet Sam's inquiring look. "Nothing," he replied. Dammit, he couldn't do this. Not now... 

"That bastard has Sarah! And Chloe! If you know something, Dean, tell me right now!" he said angrily.

&&&&&

Tied to a chair, Chloe stared darkly at Gordon who sat in the corner, sharpening a large knife. If looks could kill, he'd be six feet under. 

He chuckled, a low growl as he flicked the tip of the knife, drawing just a drop of his blood. "You're so cute when you're trying to look scary," he said casually, not looking at any of them.

Sarah bit back a tear and sob, glancing over at Chloe. She moved uncomfortably in her chair, her hands tied too tightly. "Please, let us go. There's no reason to --" She shut up at the murderous look she got from Gordon. 

"If you think Dean's gonna choose between us, you're dead wrong," Chloe said without a waver in her voice. 

"I dunno about that," he replied with a lazy grin, looking between the girls, one who wore an utterly scared yet confused look, with the other glaring at him with all the fires of Hell. "You know, don't you?" he asked suddenly. 

She fell silent, not looking away from him, her eyes dark with hate. 

Sarah glanced at Gordon, then at Chloe. "W-What's he talking about, Chloe? Know what?" she whispered, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

He chuckled. "Oh, you do know, Chloe girl, and you didn't tell your friend here?" He waved the large buoy knife in Sarah's direction. "Shameful, if you ask me." 

"Shut your mouth," she whispered, her body tensing, her hands tugging inefficiently at the ropes binding them behind her. 

"Or you're what?" he taunted, moving towards Sarah, pointing the knife at her. "She's not supposed to know, is she?" 

"Go fuck yourself, Gordon," she spat. 

"Chloe?" Sarah whispered, her eyes wide as she watched Gordon approach, a maniacal grin on his face. She futilely tried freeing her hands.

"Yeah, cry, girlie," he whispered, moving closer. "Wouldn't you like to know about your boyfriend?"

Sarah's face paled immediately. 

Trembling involuntarily, more out of anger than anything, Chloe continued to glare at him. "Leave her alone." 

He laughed. Hard. "Oh, this is gonna be fun," he whispered, looking into Sarah's terrified eyes.

"What's he talking about Chloe?" she asked again, her voice small and scared.

Gordon nearly choked on his laughter. "You tellin' me you didn't know Sammy is a demon??"

Sarah stilled, eyes wide, staring at him. 

Closing her eyes briefly, Chloe's jaw tensed. "Half. He's half. And he's not evil." She opened her eyes once more, this time turning to look at Sarah. "Sarah, he doesn't even know." 

"Half. Whole. Still makes him a demon." He derived a lot of pleasure from watching Sarah's emotions streak across her face.

Sarah's eyes filled with tears that flowed freely down her face. Demon... part demon. Her Sam. He was a... demon? "No," she whispered in denial, unable to accept this information. 

"Sam loves you," Chloe whispered fiercely. "And he's never hurt anyone before in his whole life. It's just a word, Sarah." 

Sarah wept silently, acknowledging Chloe's words with a slight nod. She glared helplessly at Gordon before bowing her head, utterly desolated that she had never been told. Never knew. "Does he know?" she whispered.

Gordon slapped the huge knife down on the table by her. "Aww, the chick flick moment. Where's Dean when we need him?" he snapped, growing tired of this exchange. 

"Sam has no idea," Chloe whispered, looking at her sadly then turning fierce eyes on Gordon. "Why the hell are you doing this?" she demanded. 

"Why?" he shouted, his voice reverberating off the walls of the small room. "Because Sam Winchester is evil and should die, that's why!!"

Sarah shook with the anger of his words, her heart crushed over losing the man she loved, no matter who or what he was. 

"The only evil one in this scenario is you," she snapped hatefully. "You're the one who murdered your own sister in cold blood. Now what? You're just pissed and jealous that Dean and Sam have each other and you have no one? You're a sick son of a bitch!" 

"What the hell do you know about it?" he demanded, getting in her face. "A vamp killed my sister... and I watched her turn into one and had no choice but to stake her into oblivion. That wasn't cold blood, you bitch."

Sarah's head snapped up, her bloodshot eyes red with fury. "Shut up, you bastard," she hissed. 

"It was if she wasn't feeding off of humans," Chloe whispered. "Not everything's in black and white!" 

"You talk too much," he growled, ripping off a piece of duct tape and pulling it over Chloe's mouth. He then proceeded to do the same to Sarah.

Deep inside her mind, Sarah wept for Sam. He'd be devastated, and how could she handle his reaction when she couldn't stop crying? Her shoulders shook with anxiety and dread of the things to come. She loved him, though... it wouldn't have hurt so much if she didn't. 

Chloe struggled against her bonds, ignoring the pain as they rubbed her wrists raw. She had to get them free. She promised she'd help Dean protect Sam. And she'd be damned if she'd let him down. 

&&&&&

Dean had been pacing back and forth across the hotel room floor for what seemed like an eternity. He didn't have a clue where to start looking for the girls, and the fact that Sam had all but killed him about the real reason for his hesitation was proving too great a burden to bear. He felt like a caged tiger, desperate to break forth and spring on his prey but unable to.

So when his cell phone chirped to life, he yanked it open like his life depended on it. Because it did. If Chloe died, he might as well, too. She had *become* his life, dammit. "Gordon, you better tell me where the hell they are," he growled into the earpiece. 

Sam's eyes darkened and he moved closer to his brother, trying to hear what the other man was saying. 

"Oh, they're safe. Don't worry, Dean." Gordon smirked. 

Moving to Sam and putting the phone between them, he snarled, "Put them on the phone. Now, Gordon." He heard a low chuckle and wished he could reach through the phone and strangle that maniacal bastard.

"Fine, you wanna talk to your girl?" Gordon hissed on the other line. "Might be the last time you talk to her if I don't get what I want." He moved over to Chloe and ripped the tape off her mouth brutally. He then held the phone to her head. "Speak." 

Wincing, Chloe glared at him. "Dean, we're okay. Don't do it!" she said fiercely. 

"Chloe!" Dean all but screamed into the phone, a rush of relief flooding through him on hearing her voice.

"That's enough outta you," Gordon growled, glaring at Chloe but putting a finger to his lips to keep her quiet. "Does Sammy want to talk to his... woman?" The thought was nearly impossible for him to fathom. 

"Gimme the phone, Dean," Sam snapped, making a grab for it. 

Dean let the phone go, seeing a spark in Sam's eyes that, frankly, scared him. And Dean Winchester didn't scare easily. 

"Sarah? Are you there?" he asked, fear in his voice. 

"Oh, Sammy, you scared for her?" Gordon taunted, ripping the tape roughly off Sarah's mouth. He chuckled when she whimpered slightly in pain. 

"You hurt her and I'll kill you, Gordon," he said without any hint of joking. 

"Not if I get to you first," he replied with a confident tone in his voice. He then shoved the phone in her face.

Sarah shook, her entire body still in shock over Gordon's revelation. And Chloe's agreement with it. "S-Sammy?" she whispered, her voice trembling and pleading. 

"It's okay, Sarah. We're gonna find you. Everything's gonna be all right," he promised, his heart pounding at the sound of her frightened voice. 

Chloe bit down hard on her lower lip as she struggled with the ropes behind her. 

"Please, Sam, don't come for me," she whispered, the knowledge that Gordon wanted Sam dead more painful than she could bear. Better she die helping him. She noticed Chloe struggling free out of the corner of her eyes and slowly started formulating a plan. 

"Happy now?" Gordon demanded, taking the phone away from Sarah. "They're alive, now give me what I want." 

"What the hell do you want?" Sam demanded. 

Gordon's dark laughter reverberated throughout the small, confining room. "Oh, this is rich. Dean hasn't told you?" 

"Told me what?" His gaze lifted to look at his older brother, his heart clenching. 

"Put big brother on the phone," Gordon replied, ignoring Sam's question.  
Sarah's eyes, large as saucers, turned to Chloe, who looked like she was slowing getting free from her bonds. 

Chloe looked back at her. "We need a plan," she whispered. 

"I have one," she whispered back, nodding in Gordon's direction.

"Dean, you bring Sam with you to the warehouse under the Riverwalk in an hour, or these two will not see the light of day. Got that?"

"Fuck you, Gordon," Dean snapped, his voice glittering with the anger he wanted to take out on that miserable psycho. "Fine. One hour." He snapped his phone shut and only glanced at Sam. 

"Alright. What the hell is going on, Dean? What does he want?" Sam demanded, his eyes dark. "What are you not telling me?" 

There was no other way: he had to know. Lifting his eyes to his brother, Dean smiled sadly. "Something... about you, Sam." 

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What about me?" 

How did you tell your brother he was half-demon? Dean briefly wondered, keeping his eyes focused on his worried brother. He knew, deep down, once Sam found out, there'd be no going back. And he would probably try to sacrifice himself to save Sarah and Chloe.... just like he would do himself. "Sam, I lied when I told you Dad didn't tell me anything before he died. He did... and he made me promise not to tell you." 

Sam stared at him for several moments in stunned silence. "Dean, what did he tell you?" he whispered. 

"He told me... Sam, Dad said you were... part... demon." The words came out slowly and painfully. He looked away, unable to stand the look that crossed Sam's face. 

"What?" He slowly sat down on the bed. "Dean, how is that even...how is that possible?" 

"I don't know, dude. But Dad said that Demon's after you. He didn't tell me for what, but..." He swallowed hard. "I think it's why Gordon wants you dead." 

"He took the girls because of me." His voice was quiet, distant. 

"They're the bait." Lifting his eyes, Dean saw the haunted, utterly desolate look he knew he'd see on Sam's face. Moving to him, Dean grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "We have to get the girls, but not at your expense. I'd die first." 

Sam pulled away from him, slowly rising to his feet. "If Gordon wants to make a trade, we're making the trade, Dean." There was resolve in his voice. 

He knew that tone. He'd heard it way too many times to know once Sam had made up his mind, there was no going back. He sighed, deeply troubled. The weight on his shoulders felt like an ever-increasing load of stone, threatening to crush him at any moment. "Okay," he replied simply, his heart heavy. "But Gordon's dead, mark my words." He grabbed his jacket, making sure his gun was loaded and ready. 

Sam didn't hesitate as he headed for the door. What happened didn't matter. As long as Chloe and Sarah and Dean were safe...he'd be at peace with whatever went down. 

&&&&&

Chloe wrists stung and burned from the ropes that still bound her hands together, but she was getting closer to getting loose. She watched Gordon as he paced the floor of the warehouse back and forth, gun in hand. "Dean's gonna kill you," she informed him coldly. 

Gordon merely chortled. "Dean Winchester? He couldn't kill a vamp when it was tied to a chair. He's weak, and I'll enjoy killing him."

"What about Sam?" Sarah's voice was quiet and sad. She felt so much more than that, but it was all she could do to keep herself still.

"Sammy? Oh, he's gonna die slowly," he replied, stroking the large knife on the table. "Gonna love torturing him." He looked at Sarah, eyes glowing with madness. "Why, you wanna watch?"

"No," she whispered painfully, "I wanna help." 

Chloe snapped her head around to stare at Sarah in shock. "What? Sarah, you can't be serious!" 

"Don't I look serious?" she replied suddenly, hoping Chloe would understand what she was doing. "You think I look forward to the day when Sam kills me in my sleep, when he turns evil and kills everyone in his path? Better he should be put out of his misery." Her voice sounded surprisingly strong for the lies that spewed forth from her lips.

Gordon's eyes narrowed on the brunette. "You're pulling my damn leg," he growled menacingly.

She shook her head. "Swear to God, I'm not." 

Chloe stared at her for a moment, stunned by the words that came from her mouth even though she had a deepening suspicion the other girl was pulling the wool over Gordon's eyes and doing one hell of a convincing job of it. "No fucking way I'm gonna let you two do this to Sam!" The sudden hard slap across the face made her flinch, her lip split open. 

"Shut up, bitch!" he yelled, pissed as hell that these two were arguing over whether that half-breed demon should die or not. "Don't make me duct tape your damn mouth shut." He loomed over Chloe, face menacing. 

Sarah flinched at Chloe's expression and obvious pain but remained still and silent. She tugged at her bonds. 

Never one to obey orders, Chloe glared up at him defiantly, spitting blood at him. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" she snapped. 

Without a sound, he grabbed another piece of duct tape off the roll and slammed it over the blonde's mouth. He enjoyed the sight of her eyes watering.

Sarah momentarily closed her eyes to keep them from watering with tears. "So you need help killing him or what?" she asked, trying to sound impatient that the deed be done. "They're on their way now. Not like we have a lot of time for chatter." 

Gordon eyed her intently, moving to her side and grabbing hold of her hair, pulling her head back a little. "If you're lying, I won't hesitate to kill you too." 

She glared at him, the hate written all over her face. For him, not for Sam. But did he really have to know that? "Does it look like I'm lying?" she said, her voice never wavering. 

A wicked smile spread across his face. "Well, this could be fun. Tortured and killed by his own girlfriend." Smirking, Gordon cut the ropes that bound her hands together, turning to look at the blonde with satisfaction in his eyes. 

Sarah ignored the look of betrayal in Chloe's eyes as she rubbed her sore wrists, blood dotting where the rope had been. She stood up slowly. "So where do I start?" she asked him. 

"Just wait. They'll be here soon. Although if you wanna use her for practice, feel free." He smirked and turned to walk the floor again. 

Nodding, Sarah grabbed the large knife from off the table and turned to Chloe, whose eyes were wide with fear. She smiled slightly and bent down, silently and swiftly cutting her bonds. With a look, she told Chloe to stay put as she stood once again. "I don't know," she replied. "Maybe I should wait until Dean gets here to practice." 

Gordon smirked once more. "I like the way you think, Lady." 

Eyeing a long, heavy piece of wood, Sarah leaned down and picked it up quietly, so as not to disturb Gordon, who still had his back turned to her. "Yeah, thought you might," she replied, looking at Chloe with a quick nod before running after him and pounding him in the head with the board. 

Chloe winced as she pulled the duct tape off her mouth and rose to her feet, moving to stand over Gordon's fallen body. "You know," she said, looking at Sarah. "If you ever decide to give up life on the road hunting down things that go bump in the night, you should consider pursuing a career in acting," she said with raised eyebrows. She leaned down and picked up Gordon's gun, holding it on him though he was unconscious. 

Holding the pole of wood in her hands for a weapon, she panted as she worked at her breathe returning to normal. "Thanks," she whispered breathlessly. "Didn't think he was gonna buy it." She looked over at Chloe, her eyes melancholy as her breathing evened out. "Is it true?" 

Swallowing hard, Chloe didn't dare take her eyes off Gordon. "Yes," she admitted in a very soft whisper. 

Two tears slipped down her cheeks as she simply stared at her friend, wishing this was over. Wanting to see Sam and yet, at the same time, afraid of what she might say or do... or if he knew, then how they would cope with that knowledge. 

She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly heard a pounding on the door. "Guess that's them," she told Chloe. She tried to move but her feet were planted to the ground. Her fear prevented her from unlocking the door. 

"You're gonna have to get the door," she whispered, still clutching tightly onto the gun. "I'm not turning my back on him." 

The banging continued, doubling in the strength of sound. At this rate, the brother would punch a hole in the solid steel door. She dropped the pole, watched it clatter to the floor, and looked back up at Chloe. Nodding, just a little more than miserable, she stepped away from Gordon's inert body and unlocked the door. She watched it slide open and saw Sam and Dean on the other side. Both concerned. Both looking relieved. Yet Sarah couldn't look at her Sam to save her life. 

"Sarah?" he whispered, not moving toward her, his face ashen. "Are you..." 

She took a step towards him but halted her progress. She was torn, unsure, even though she longed for his arms to be around her. "I'm fine," she whispered.

Dean ran into the room, skipping past Sarah, to see Chloe standing over Gordon with a gun. The unconscious man looked like he had been hit by a truck. He smiled widely and grabbed her. "Chloe," he whispered, the relief evident in his face. 

She winced a little, dropping the gun to the floor with a loud clatter and winding her arms around him tightly, shutting her eyes. "Dean," she whispered. 

He grabbed her limp, weary body to his and held her tightly. "Jesus, are you alright?" he asked her, kissing the top of her head gently as he gazed down at the inert body on the floor. 

"I'm fine, we're both..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced past him. "She knows," she whispered. 

He followed her gaze to the couple at the door, standing there, both unable to look at each other. He frowned. "So does he," he muttered, watching the gradual stages of weariness and guilt wash over his features. "Did you knock this dude out yourself?" he asked Chloe, a little louder.

"I did." Sarah's voice was flat and dull. 

"Yeah, you did." Chloe smiled faintly. "She hit him hard." 

Sam swallowed hard, not looking at anyone. "We should...let's get the hell outta here." 

"Good idea," Sarah whispered, her eyes still focused on the floor as she walked past Sam and away from that hated place.

"Please tell me I can kill this guy," Dean muttered, looking at Chloe. 

"I thought about it myself," she whispered. "But the last thing we need is the cops and the FBI tracking us for murder." She looked up at him. 

"Good point," he replied with a goofy grin. "Cops already want me for a bogus murder charge. Why add a real one?" He took the gun from her hands and tucked it in his pocket. "Let's get you out of here." 

Casting one last glance behind them, Chloe let Dean lead her toward the door, smirking a little when he locked Gordon inside the warehouse. 

Dean led Chloe to the car, though he was constantly aware of the fact that Sam trailed behind them while Sarah had already found the car and was waiting for them. "What are we going to?" he whispered to Chloe, squeezing her hand. 

"I don't know." She squeezed his hand lightly in return. "I think we should get outta here. That warehouse won't keep him forever." 

"It'll have to wait until morning," he replied with a sensual grin filled with insinuation as he unlocked the doors and they got in.

Sarah crawled into the backseat and pushed herself into the cushions, willing herself to die while they drove back to the hotel. Nor was she so sure she wanted Sam close to her, though her body wanted the same comforting Dean was offering Chloe. Tears streamed down her face as she wept silently. 

Chloe climbed into the passenger seat, casting a glance in the back first at Sarah, and then at Sam. They were sitting as far apart as possible, both of their faces gravely pale. Sarah was crying silent tears, while Sam stared silently out the window, his head resting against the glass. He looked utterly defeated. Swallowing hard, she cast a sideways glance at Dean, remaining silent herself. 

The ride back to the hotel would be fun, Dean realized, watching the two in the backseat put as much distance between them as possible. He wondered if it was worth trying to spend quality time with Chloe when they got back to the hotel, which was fortunately only a five minute drive. Neither of them in the back looked like they wanted to be in each other's company at the moment.

Once at the hotel, Sarah lost no time getting out of the Impala and booking it for her room. The tears she'd spent seemed not nearly enough. They were never-ending, streaming freely down her face as she ran, oblivious to the curious glances she got from the patrons inside the hotel. 

Sam flinched as she shut the back passenger door loudly and fled as if he had turned into some hideous creature. Although, he thought bitterly, it was only a matter of time before that happened. He slowly climbed out the car, shutting the back driver's side door and moving toward the hotel lobby as well, though not at the speed with which she'd taken off in. 

Chloe drew in a breath, watching him go and resting a light hand on Dean's arm for a moment, then sliding out of the passenger's seat and following her friends. 

Dean watched the others go into the hotel, remaining for a moment in an attempt to gather his thoughts. They were so jumbled, though, he didn't know his left hand from his right. He slowly got out and caught up to Chloe. "Got any ideas on how to get them to talk to each other?" he asked, pushing the front door open for her. 

She smiled painfully, glancing at him sideways. "I'll think of something," she said quietly as they headed for the stairs. "I'm gonna...talk to Sam." 

He shook his head. "No, Chloe, let me. I think... Sarah's probably better off talking to you than me." He looked sheepish and unsure of himself. Not like he ever had to deal with this much touchy-feely stuff. He knew how to handle Sam: Sarah was a whole other ball of wax. 

She put a hand on his arm. "I was planning on talking to them both," she admitted. 

"Well, can't you at least go take care of Sarah while I talk to Sammy?" He didn't want to sound impatient, but he couldn't help it. The thought of talking to another woman freaked him out. 

Sighing softly, she pushed some hair out of her face. "Yeah. Alright." She took the steps two at a time, heading for Sarah's room. 

Watching her bound up the stairs, Dean followed, his own steps determined as he trudged up the stairs to the room he and his brother shared for the moment. 

Chloe knocked softly on Sarah's door, then twisted the handle and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "Hey, it's just me." 

She'd been in the bathroom, trying to get a hold of herself and the tears that just would not stop falling. "Oh, hey," she called, her voice muffled by the washcloth she had pressed to her face. She didn't make a move to face her friend, nor did she know what else to say. 

"Can I come in?" Chloe asked softly, pausing at the bathroom door. 

Sarah nodded but said nothing, the warm washcloth soothing her only a fraction. Her heart was broken, for Sam more so than herself. She just didn't know how to tell him that. 

She stepped into the small tiled room, a sad look in her eyes. "Sarah..." She leaned against the wall. 

She dared to pull the washcloth from her eyes and look at herself in the mirror. She looked red, bloated, and her eyes were bloodshot. "I look like the demon," she replied, laughing bitterly as she fought another onslaught of tears. 

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment. "I know this is hard to take in." 

"Hard to take in?" she whispered, an edge in her voice. "He's the man I love: what the hell would you know about it?" She stumbled back onto the toilet seat, her knees giving out on her. 

"More than you know," Chloe said sharply. 

Get a grip, Sarah, she told herself, looking up at the blonde and shaking her head in a conscious effort to restrain herself. "How do I... talk to him? He doesn't... Did you see the look on his face?" 

"He's devastated. His whole life's been a lie," she answered quietly. 

She nodded, for the first time considering that. "My poor Sam," she whispered, more forlorn than she had ever been in her life. "He must hate me now." 

"He doesn't hate you. If anything...right now he hates himself. He's questioning everything about himself, who he is, what this means, if he's gonna become..." She bit her lip, then winced as the small action drew blood from where Gordon had split her lip earlier. She grabbed a Kleenex off the sink and pressed it to her mouth. "He's scared, Sarah." 

She noticed the cut on Chloe's lip and paled, immediately feeling bad that she hadn't asked her friend if she was okay. "Here, let me get you cleaned up." She busied herself with wetting a clean washcloth, using the time to think about Chloe had said. It made perfect sense, of course; why wouldn't he be thinking about these things. What if he thought she didn't want him or love him anymore?

She bit back an involuntary sob as she handed the washcloth over to Chloe. "He won't become evil," she whispered painfully. "Not if I can help it." 

"He won't," she said firmly, taking Sarah's hand and gazing at her intently. "We won't let that happen." 

She shook her head emphatically, looking at her friend and trying to smile. "He's got people who love him, and there's no way I'm going to leave him now." That thought cheered her a little more. She only hoped she had the strength to help Sam through this. She moved out of the bathroom and towards the hotel door. 

&&&&&

Sam leaned against the window, staring out over the city as the sun rapidly fell, bringing darkness with it, minus the bright lights on Bourbon Street. He heard his brother return to the room but he didn't turn to look at him, simply remained stoic and silent. 

Dean stared at his brother, feeling the gaping chasm that stood between them. "Sam," he said simply, his voice filled with the kind of concern an older brother felt for the younger one. "I should have told you, dude. I'm... sorry..." He took a few steps towards him, his face honest and filled with guilt. 

"Dad told you not to." His voice was flat, dull. 

"And Dad's dead, so shouldn't that be null and void?" He ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't want to see you like this, because nothing's going to happen to you, Sammy." 

"Are you kidding me, Dean?" He didn't move or even look at his brother's reflection in the glass. 

"Does it sound like I'm joking, man? What's going on in that head of yours, that just because you're part demon, you're going to turn evil and kill everyone? Heh, so not gonna happen." 

"No. It's not. Because I'm not gonna let it get that far." His voice was quiet. 

"We're not gonna let it get that far." He was worried at the tone in Sam's voice. He had never heard that before. It sounded like... "Don't even think about what I think you're thinking about, dammit." 

"I'm not gonna turn into some monster like that damn demon and kill everyone around me," he whispered. 

"And you think killing yourself is the answer to that? I don't even know if what Dad said was the fucking truth." His voice was low and dangerous, though it held a tremor of loss. He knew he'd be lost without his brother. 

"It's the truth. It explains everything," Sam said dully. 

"What, the visions? Bullshit. Lots of people have those." 

"Yeah. Do a lot of people have visions and telekinesis? Do a lot of people's mothers and girlfriends get burned on the ceiling by a Demon?" He still didn't turn around. 

"Sam, turn around and look at me," Dean demanded, ignoring his brother's questions. 

Sam leaned his head against the cool glass of the window pane. "Gordon's right, Dean." 

Tears pricked the back of his eyelids. "No he's not," he whispered brokenly. "Gordon's a sick bastard. You're my brother. I'm not letting you go, dude. You're all I have left." 

"I'm only partially your brother. And you have Chloe. What happens if I turn evil and I kill her?" 

Dean grabbed Sam's arm and whirled him around. He emptiness in his eyes made him want to break down. "You are my brother, no matter what," he replied, shoving a finger in his face. "Chloe or not, you'll always be my family. And you won't turn evil, you hear me? I won't let that happen." His eyes, burning with a fierce determination, bore into his brother's. 

Sam didn't respond, simply looked at his brother with fatigue and despair in his eyes. "If I do, you have to promise that..." 

Dean went still, his heart broken in half. His eyes, glassy with unshed tears, never wavered from Sam's face. He didn't want to make that promise, no matter how bad things got. He knew, though, that if it came down to it, he'd kill his brother... if it meant protecting him. Silently, he nodded, the motion itself painful to do. 

"I'm gonna...go for a walk." He headed for the door. 

A small knock at the door stopped Dean from protesting or preventing Sam from leaving. He turned around, hoping his brother would open the door and find out who was on the other side. 

Closing his eyes briefly, he pulled the door open, startled to see Sarah there. He stood frozen. 

Sarah's determined yet scared eyes looked up into his hollow and defeated ones. "Sam?" she whispered, reaching out and gently touching his arm. "Can... we talk?" 

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, shutting his eyes momentarily. She was so beautiful it hurt to look at her. "I...need to clear my head, Sarah," he whispered. 

Her face fell as she realized he didn't want to be near her. "Yeah, I do too," she whispered, looking away from him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him so badly, needed him to know how much she loved him. But he seemed to far away. So distant.

Dean watched silently at these two people, so obviously in love with one another yet completely at odds. Quietly, he used this as an excuse to leave and go to Chloe. As he passed, he looked at Sarah, his eyes asking her to watch over his brother. No matter what. 

Biting his lower lip, he slowly stepped aside. "Come in." 

Nodding, she took a few paces into the room and watched him shut the door. Without saying a word, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into her. She buried her face into his chest and wanted to weep again, but his warmth and scent kept them at bay. She held onto him, her lifeline, unable to let him go. 

It took him a moment to slowly slide his arms around her in return, his body stiff and tense. No matter what she did or what she said, he knew things between them would never be the same again. He was different. A freak. A monster. And nothing could possibly change that. 

Sobs wracked her body when she felt his utter lack of response. She knew what he was thinking, that he was a monster, a demon, something less than human and not lovable. That made her squeeze him more tightly. She was going to show him she wasn't going to leave him, abandon him... "I love you," she whispered against his chest, the tears leaking out of her eyes again. 

He leaned against the door, closing his eyes. "You shouldn't," he whispered back. 

She moved with him, so that her body was leaning against his. "But I do, Sam. You're not going to be alone. No matter what." She closed her eyes and dared him to push her away. 

He let out a slow breath, his mind still spinning with the news. Wordlessly, he pulled her a little closer, resting his chin on top of her head and shutting his eyes. 

Bolstered by his small movement towards her, she whispered, "I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. I... I can't imagine what you're going through." She listened to the thud of his heartbeat and knew how upset he was. 

"I can't imagine what you're going through," he countered softly. 

"Nothing compared to my boyfriend," she replied with a sad smile. "His life's been turned upside down." Her fingers dug into the back of his shirt in a desperate attempt to take some of his pain away. 

"Story of my life," he said quietly. "I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore." 

Sarah lifted her head and gazed at his distant face. "Maybe because you never saw this coming?" she asked softly. 

"Ironic. Psychic powers and the one thing I needed to know the most...I was clueless." 

She pulled away from him and sighed. "How could you know, Sam? Lots of people have these powers. Most of the time they can't use them on themselves. Your dad should have told you, while he was still alive!" Her sadness gave way to a sudden burst of anger towards John Winchester, a man she had never met but had heard enough about to know he meant everything to his sons. To have him never tell Sam the most important thing was a cardinal sin in her mind. 

He gazed at her, his eyes haunted. "But he didn't. I guess...I just...have to play the hand I was dealt. I'm just not sure how." 

&&&&&

Chloe was in the bathroom, wincing at the sight of the large bruise that was finally forming on her cheek when she heard the soft knock on the door. Letting her hair fall in front of her face to help hide it, she stepped out into the main room and pulled the door open, her eyes widening at the sight of his pale face and tear-filled eyes. "Come in," she whispered, moving aside to let him in. 

Dean was devastated. That was the only word for it. He slipped through the door, shutting it behind him, and just stared at her beloved face. The purple bruise on her cheek almost matched the split lip. "How are those?" he asked blandly, a limp hand motioning towards her bruises. He was too weary to hate Gordon for what he'd done to her. It had gone way beyond that emotion. 

"They're fine." She gazed at him with worry in her eyes. "Come here." She slipped her arms around his waist. 

When she touched him, he nearly lost what little semblance of control he had left. Grabbing her, he pulled her flush against his body and buried his face in her neck, taking deep breaths as he inhaled her scent. 

Chloe slid a hand up to the back of his neck, her fingers gently caressing him. "It's all gonna be okay," she promised in a soft whisper. 

"How?" he rasped, his voice hoarse against her skin. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe. "I can't do this anymore, Chloe... I-I can't..." He began to feel himself break and kept a firm hold onto her waist. 

"Come here," she murmured, pulling him toward the bed where she helped him sit down, her arms still around him. She pulled away a little, just enough to kiss his forehead. Lifting one hand to his cheek, she gazed into his eyes, still filled with unshed tears. 

Dean brushed the stray hair out of her face and gently cupped her bruised cheek. "That bastard," he whispered, kissing her bruises gently. "Fucking bastard. Trying to kill my brother... making him... doubt himself..." The tears appeared on his cheeks, leaking out of his eyes. He wiped them away irritably. 

"We're gonna take care of Sam," she promised softly, leaning forward and kissing one of the tears on his cheeks. 

Dean leaned into her shoulder and sobbed in a very unmanly way. He couldn't hold it back any more, though, and somehow, he didn't think Chloe would mind. Especially the thought of having to kill Sam one day. 

Chloe shut her eyes, holding him tightly, her hand stroking his back in a soothing manner. "I know you're afraid of what might happen," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "But Sam...has the kindest heart of anyone I know." 

"You... don't understand, Chlo," he said brokenly, shuddering against his tears, fighting to keep them in. His hands slipped under her shirt, the need to touch her skin overwhelming. "Sam wants me to... to kill him if... he even gets close..." He breathed in and shuddered. 

She flinched at the words, feeling as if she'd been struck. "It's not gonna happen," she said firmly, kissing his earlobe softly and tightening her arms around him. 

He groaned and wanted her to do that again. His hands slipped up her back, his hands spanning across her skin as he lightly ran his fingers across her body. "No, not with the three of us." He knew Sarah was protective of his brother, hell, even loved him. She'd help keep him safe. He brushed his lips against the sensitive skin of her neck. 

A shudder passed over her at his action. "Dean," she whispered. 

"Chloe," he growled and nipped at her neck again. His hands slid around her waist and stroked her stomach. He knew this probably wasn't a good idea, but he needed her like air. 

The breath caught in her throat as he slid his hand beneath her shirt, exploring the smooth expanse of her stomach. She could sense his need, his desperation. He needed to get lost. In her. And she wasn't going to stop him. 

He felt her body relax against his, pressing her body closer, and a groan issued from his throat. He pushed her gently down onto her bed, settling his body on top of hers. His hips ground lightly into hers as he lifted his head long enough to pull her shirt over her head. Then looking into her eyes and kissing her parted, breathless mouth. 

Returning the kiss with an almost matched sense of urgency, she slid the shirt off his head and tossed it to the floor, not caring where it landed. She slid her hands down his bare skin, feeling the smooth muscles in his back. 

Her hands on his skin were like fire in his veins, making him hard all over. He ground his hips into hers again and heard her moan in response. Sliding his mouth down her body, he caressed her breasts, still covered by her lacy bra. He then slipped it off her and buried his head between them while his hands still explored her skin, trailing down to the zipper of her jeans. 

Chloe shifted beneath him, aching with need. Something she'd never experienced before she met Dean Winchester. She slid one hand through his hair as he placed a kiss against her navel. She lifted her hips to help him slide the jeans off her. 

"Help me," he grunted, trying to rip off his jeans in sheer frustration, his mouth trailing burning kisses along her breasts and flat stomach. Dipping his head lower as his fingers brushed against her wet, throbbing womanhood. 

Pressing her hands against his chest, she slid her fingers down to undo the button and zipper on his jeans, tugging them off his hips as she pressed her lips to his, her heart beating rapidly. Within moments he was undressed as well. "Better?" she whispered, nibbling on his earlobe. 

Better didn't even come close, he thought, pulling back from her to grab the condom from his wallet. He gazed at her beautifully naked body writhing with desire on the bed, so he hastened his movements and climbed back onto the bed, his hard length settling between her moist thighs. When he entered her, he groaned. "Yes, better." 

She bit down on her lower lip, sliding her legs around his waist and pulling him closer, deeper within her. She pulled him down to kiss her, her hands framing his face. 

"Be careful of that lip, baby," he whispered, moving into her, his movements picking up as she rose to meet each thrust. He returned her kisses with the same intensity she gave to him. It only seemed like moments later when they came, hers first, then his... her climax driving him to his brink. He rode through it, feeling it wash over him and giving him peace. 

"I love you," she whispered almost inaudibly, sliding her hands down his back with feather-light touches. 

Breathing hard, he quickly disposed of the used condom and gathered close to him. It was only then did he realize what she had said to him. Kissing her hard on her mouth, he gathered her into his arms and gazed into her emerald eyes, still hazy with desire. "I love you, too, Chloe," he whispered, bumping his forehead against hers gently. 

The breath catching in her throat, she trailed her fingers along his strong jawbone. "You make me feel..." 

"What?" he asked softly, watching the emotion cross her face with a satisfied smile. 

"Needed," she whispered, meeting his eyes. 

His eyes reflected the love he just expressed for her. "You are. You always will be," he said honestly, simply. Kissing her gently, he wrapping his body around hers, encasing them both within the thick comforter from the bed. 

"You too," she whispered, resting her head against his collarbone and snuggling against him. "Sometimes it scares me." 

A frown settled on his features again. "Never been needed before," he replied frankly, keeping her close to him. And it scared the hell out of him, just like the thought of losing his brother did, too. 

"That's not true, Dean." Her voice was soft, one hand resting over his heart. "Your family's always needed you." 

"That same family who is slowly killing themselves off?" he muttered, a pained look on his face. He closed his eyes at her gently touch, which set his heart racing. 

His soft words pained her and she pressed a light kiss to his neck. "Sam's gonna be okay." 

He leaned into her kiss, his eyes still closed. "He better be, because... I..." He couldn't finish his words. He wanted her to know, though, that he wouldn't make it. Not without his brother. His blood family. His arms tightened around her, not capable of leaving her side. 

"I know," she whispered. "I know, Dean." 

Kissing the top of her head, he shifted slightly. "Think I can stay here tonight?" he asked. Being alone was not an option, since he had no idea if Sam was still with Sarah or not. 

"You know you're always welcome to stay with me." She closed her eyes and shifting closer to him. 

"Good," he grumbled sleepily, feeling her body pressed close and his response to those soft curves against his lean body. "Think I'll need to buy more condoms before we leave New Orleans." 

A short chuckle escaped her. "That's probably a good idea." 

He cocked an eyebrow. "At least, we agree on something that is good for us both," he teased, getting an elbow to the ribs for his trouble. "Hey," he complained slightly, running a finger over her bruised lip. 

She winced involuntarily. "Me and my big mouth." 

"I love that big mouth and what it does," he replied, offering her a knowing smirk that lit up his eyes briefly. 

She shook her head in faint amusement. "One track mind." 

Tracing her back with a finger, he whispered, "You got it, baby." He yawned, however; the day had been long... as would tomorrow be. "I hope... Sarah takes good care of my brother," he whispered after a moment. 

"She loves him. She will." There was a soft certainty in her voice. 

"Good." Pulling Chloe close, he closed his eyes and let the warmth of her body lull him into a mostly peaceful slumber. Sleep was the one thing they both needed; he just hoped she knew he intended to stay with her all night and be there in the morning. 

&&&&&

Chloe was awake bright and early the next morning, before the sun had even fully risen. Pressing a soft kiss to Dean's lips, she slipped out of bed and quickly showered and dressed in clean clothes, her mind already forming a plot. She left Dean a note on the table and silently left the room, going next door and knocking very softly on Sam and Sarah's door. 

Sam had been awake when he heard the soft tapping at the door. Truth of the matter was, he had not slept at all. He spent most of the night, watching Sarah sleep fitfully in his bed, wondering why she was even there with him. Freak of nature, he thought, letting that roll around in his mind until he thought he'd go crazy. He stood and shuffled to the door, pulling it open. He seemed to know it was Chloe before he even grabbed the doorknob. However, he couldn't look at her. "Hey," he said flatly. 

"So since Sarah and Dean are asleep, you get to play my bodyguard and come get coffee with me," she said cheerfully. 

"Yeah, your demonic bodyguard," he said, still looking at the floor. Nevertheless he grabbed his coat, and with one last longing glance at Sarah's sleeping figure, shrugged it on. "Lead the way," he muttered. 

The words made her wince inwardly, but she didn't let it show. She missed the look of surprise on his face when she linked her arm through his and led him toward the stairs. "I saw a Starbucks down the road. You like lattes, right?" 

He pulled the door shut, wondering why she could handle touching a thing like him, but he didn't try to pull away. "Anything with caffeine," he whispered. "Let's walk. I guess it's a nice day out." 

They walked down the steps together and headed out of the lobby. She didn't let go of his arm at all as they slowly walked down the street. Even though it was so early, there were still people already out and about, though not as many as there would be in a few short hours. 

Sam ignored most of what went on around them as they walked the four blocks to the Starbucks coffee shop. He was barely conscious of Chloe walking next to him, though he did notice she still held onto him. "Why are you doing that?" he asked out loud, more to himself than to her. 

"Doing what?" she asked, glancing up at him. She knew exactly what he was talking about but she wanted to hear him say it. 

His desolated sigh reverberated in his mind and soul. He moved away from her, breaking their contact. "Touching me. Why do that when..." He closed his eyes for a second at the rush of self-loathing, of the thought of his demonic self. 

Chloe gazed at him for a moment and then reached out and took hold of his hand. "When what, Sam?" she asked quietly, not a hint of fear in her green eyes. 

He reluctantly looked her in the eye before gazing down at her hand in his. "I'm a demon, Chloe. Why even be around me?" He tried to pull his hand out of hers as they reached Starbucks, but his mental state was such that he had no strength left in him to really fight. 

She ordered two large lattes from the guy behind the counter and when they were ready, she handed one to Sam, carrying her own in her free hand and taking a sip before leading him farther down the street and toward the docks rather than back toward the hotel. 

Sipping on his latte, he remained lost in thought. He couldn't bare the idea that he was... less than human. That he would one day be as evil as the likes of Max, the guy who had similar powers but was crazy as a fruitcake. He'd certainly take his life before it got to that point. Never mind Dean, who might be willing to do it.

He was curious, though, as to why Chloe was still there, holding his hand. "Never answered my question," he replied in mid-sip. 

"Why I am touching you?" she asked, gazing out over the water as she took a sip of her latte. "Because you're my friend, Sam." 

He leaned against the pier and stared at the boats traveling up the Mississippi River. And suddenly wished he was on one of them. "Even though I'll probably turn evil and slit your throats one night?" His words shocked him and shook him to the core. Sarah. He couldn't be around her, no matter what she might have told him. 

Chloe rolled her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "I'm about as worried about that as I am as the earth opening up right now and swallowing us whole." 

"There's places where the world actually does that," he automatically replied, his intellect kicking in as a way to keep him from acknowledging what she was telling him. 

"God, you're as thick-headed as Dean sometimes," she grumbled, a hint of annoyance in her tone. 

A slight smile briefly crossed his lips. "Thanks... I think." He looked down at his coffee before glancing at her. "I know what you're trying to do, Chloe. I appreciate it, really, but... I'm just gonna have to deal with this myself." 

"Well, that's too bad, Sam. Cause it's not gonna happen," she said firmly, turning her head to look at him. 

The determination in her eyes shocked him a little. It wasn't unlike what he saw in Sarah's last night. "Gee, gang up on me, why don't you?" he grumbled, a hint of teasing behind the complaint. 

A smile tugged at her lips. "Look, in some very strange way, I sorta understand what you're going through. And I think I can help." 

A bitter smile covered his face and he looked away. "How can you help me? How can Sarah... or Dean, for that matter?" 

She placed a hand on his knee. "I have a friend back home in Smallville and he's...not exactly human." She gazed at him, willing him to look at her again. "It was a struggle for him too, but he got through it." 

Sam looked at her, surprise all over his face. "You've... done this before?" he asked, perplexed. He wondered, though... he thought he knew who she was talking about. 

Her eyes were filled with warmth. "Yeah. And you know what? He's a good person. He has a good heart." She looked at him meaningfully. 

He knew what she was telling him, that he, too, had a good heart. In the last twelve hours, though, he had begun to wonder if that was true. He loved his brother and Chloe. Felt so much more than love for Sarah. But couldn't demons love, in a way? Was what he felt for the people in his life the real thing, or was it all a lie? "I don't know," he protested quietly. 

"Well, I do," Chloe said without hesitation. "I know. Sarah knows. And Dean knows. And you're just gonna have to learn to trust the three of us, Sammy." *

"I do trust the three of you," he replied with a hint of hardness in his voice. "It's me I no longer trust. I don't know what's real anymore." He looked away from her and shut his eyes. 

"We're real. You're real," she said quietly. "The rest...we'll figure it out. All of us --together. And just for the record, I feel completely safe with you." 

He moved away quickly. "Don't say that," he rasped. "What if I hurt you and Sarah? Do you think I could live with myself if I did? How can I feel... love for her if I'm destined to be evil?" He spat the words out, unable to keep them back anymore. That was the root of the problem: he might feel goodness inside him, but that could all be false. 

She gripped onto his arm, not letting him move too far away. "You're not gonna hurt us, Sam." Chloe gazed at him intently. "And deep down you know that." Her voice was soft. 

"No, no, I don't know that," he demanded, tugging at his arm. "Not anymore!" 

"If you didn't know it somewhere inside of you, you would have made me wake Dean up to go with me to get coffee." There was a faint smirk on her face because she knew she was right. 

He downed the rest of his coffee and threw it away, disgusted that she was right. Hell, he hadn't done anything but watch Sarah sleep. And had he hurt her? "You're right," he whispered, his back towards her. "But there will come a day when... I won't be that good anymore." He was just as sure of that as he knew Chloe was of the goodness that hid within him. 

Chloe gazed at him for a long moment, then wound her arms around him, resting her head against his back. "You're wrong, Sam," she whispered. "But we'll work on that." 

Sighing, he turned and put his arms around her. "I hope so," he whispered, putting his chin on the top of her head while he held her loosely. 

She looked up at him, her eyes bright. 

"Hey, save those cow eyes for my brother," he replied with a sudden grin. "They aren't gonna work on me." The smile faded, but there remained a glimmer of something. Sam didn't dare acknowledge it, however. 

Chloe grinned at him. "So you won't give me a piggy back ride back to the hotel?" she teased. 

"Hey, you never asked," he replied, bending down and gabbing her, helping to lift her onto his back. 

Her eyes widened in surprise and she chuckled, winding her arms loosely around his neck. "Gitty up," she said with a grin. 

"Shut up," Sam laughed, ignoring her swat against his shoulder as he walked them back to the hotel. Though he felt a little better, had that reassurance from the people he loved most, there still lingered the fear of the future. And he could only hope that Dean would fulfill his promise when the time came. 

&&&&&

Feeling like she'd helped him lighten the load a little as they arrived back at the hotel, she smiled when she spotted Dean in the hallway. "You know if the hunting thing doesn't work out, you'd make a great horse, Sam," she teased, letting go of him and letting her feet touch the floor again. 

Sam smiled a little as he straightened himself. "Maybe I could work for one of those rodeo circuits," he muttered playfully.

"No way, dude," Dean butted in with a smirk. "You hate clowns." He bent down and kissed Chloe good morning. 

Chloe kissed him back, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sam's cheek, meeting his eyes briefly, a soft smile on her face. She turned back to Dean. "I guess you found my note?" 

Dean watched Sam nod and head towards his room, most likely to rouse Sarah if she was still sleeping. "Yeah, I got it. Figured you two needed some alone time," he smirked with a knowing grin. 

She wound her arms around his neck and gazed at him intently. "Come on, let's go inside." She nodded toward the room. 

His eyebrows shot up. "Ready for round two?" he stated, a sensual smile on his face that didn't quite reflect in his eyes. Picking her up, he watched as she opened the door. They walked in and he kicked it shut behind him. 

"Actually I kinda thought we should talk." Her voice was soft and she gazed at him intently. 

He nodded solemnly, putting her down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah, I know," he replied. He sat down beside her, running a hand over his face. "How is he?" 

"Very uncertain about what it all means. Scared that he's....gonna hurt the three of us," she told him. She was quiet for a moment, hesitant. "I think I can help him." 

"How?" he asked, a frown on his face. He had never been more worried about another human being in his life as he now was about Sam. He knew his brother wouldn't hurt any of them: why did he doubt himself? 

"Well for one...I think I can help him fine tune his powers. Or try, at least," she told him. "If he's got control over his abilities, they won't scare him as much." 

Her words made Dean freeze. His face was one of confusion and surprise. "Whoa, wait a minute," he protested, standing up and looking at her warily. "Don't tell me you're some kind of psychic coach or something. I get that Sam needs to learn to control his freaky mind thing, but I always thought he'd do that on his own."

"No offense, but I don't think we're gonna have the luxury of waiting. And no, I'm not a...psychic coach." She gave him a wry look. "But, I do know a thing or two about...special abilities and helping someone discover them and..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at the floor. 

Gently grabbing her chin, Dean lifted her face to he could look into her troubled eyes. "We talking about someone I know?" he asked, cursing his lack of tact and inappropriate sarcasm. 

She flinched a little and pulled away from him. "You know we are." 

He took her arm, preventing her from getting away from him. "Hey, I never said it wasn't a good idea. My sarcasm’s..." He shook his head in defeat when he saw the look in her eyes. He let go and stood up. "So, how did you help out Clark? If you wanna tell me, that is." 

Chloe was silent for a moment. "Clark...had his memory wiped out once. He didn't even know he had powers. I wasn't even sure what all he was capable of, so it was mostly...trial and error." 

"Wow," he said, impressed that she could handle a guy like that. "I take it you had to deal with more than just the 'I'm invincible' angle?" 

A short chuckle escaped her. "Understatement. There was super-strength, super-speed, x-ray vision and my personal favorite--shooting fire from his eyes when he was...uh...excited." 

Dean turned around and gave Chloe a funny look. "Great, nothing like having a horny alien who can turn you into toast with a look." Damn, he wished he could do that, he thought suddenly. 

"Trust me. It was never directed at me," Chloe said quietly. 

His gaze softened as he watched her look at everything but him. "That dude's got blinders on, because if I had that power, you'd be toasty and well done." 

She smiled a bit, still not looking at him. "Only because you met me first," she said under her breath. 

He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated that he'd yet again done or said something to upset her. "Why do you think we stopped that day you were stranded on the side of the road?" He took a step towards her, fire in his eyes. 

Sighing softly, she reluctantly looked up at him, not responding. 

"Dammit," he muttered, closing the distance between them and picking her up, holding her close to him as he sat down on the bed and put her into his lap. "Hey, look at me," he demanded softly. 

"I am looking at you," she said just as softly, her hands resting on his shoulders. 

"No, I mean, look at me," he insisted, cupping her cheeks with his hands. "I know you still have your hang-ups with Clark, but I meant it when I told you I love you. Why do you still doubt that?" He stared at her intently, wanting her to understand this so they could get back to helping Sam. 

"I don't," she said quietly. "I know you love me." 

He frowned. "Then... how can you help Sam with his visions and stuff?" 

"I said I could try. I wanna do a little research first, though." 

"Okay. Guess I'll let you do that." He reluctantly pulled her out of his lap and set her down beside him. 

"Dean, I think...we should get outta this town," she said quietly. 

He thought about Gordon and nodded. "I agree. I'll go see if Sam and Sarah are willing to get moving." He started for the door. 

Chloe watched him head away, biting her lower lip. "Dean?" 

"Yeah, babe?" He turned and looked at her. 

"Are we...are we okay?" she asked hesitantly. 

Her question surprised him, so he leaned back against the door. "Sure we are, Chlo. Why do you ask?" 

"Just checking." Her voice was soft. 

He moved towards her again, his eyes intense with determination. "Which means you're doubting," he grumbled, pulled her to him and planting a hot, wet kiss on her surprised open mouth. 

She melted against him almost instantly, sliding her hands around to rest on the back of his neck as she returned the kiss. 

His hands went to her hair as their mouths moved together, almost as if they wanted to devour each other. He cradled her head as he kissed her, his body becoming hard with need again. "You keep doing that," he panted after several moments, "or we'll never get out of here." 

Swallowing hard, she reluctantly pulled away. "And we really need to get out of here." She unconsciously licked her lips. 

Dean followed her, kissing her lips again. "Yeah, we need to leave," he rasped between kisses. 

She groaned involuntarily, pulling him closer to her. "We do..." When he nibbled on her lower lip she shut her eyes. 

Her response was slowly doing him in. Literally. He slowly moved from her lips and grazed his lips down her cheek, resting at her neck and kissing her there. "Chloe," he murmured, the desire for her evident in his voice. 

Seemingly of their own will, her hands slid under the material of his shirt, sliding up his back and feeling him growl softly against her neck. The noise made goose bumps cover her skin. 

He wanted more of that, needed her touch on his naked skin. "Keep doing that," he groaned, slipping his hands under her shirt and stroking the soft skin of her lower back. 

Lowering her lips to his neck, she quickly yanked the shirt off over his head, resting her hands against his bare chest. 

He moaned in the back of his throat at the sheer lust in her eyes. And when her hands moved down towards his jeans, he grinned wickedly, anxious to be rid of their clothes. "Not exactly... prepared for this," he whispered as he felt her unbutton his jeans. 

"You mean, we're out of...?" Her fingers paused on the zipper. 

He actually felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment when he nodded and looked away. 

Her own cheeks flushed a little, both from arousal and embarrassment. "I uh...I am on the pill now," she admitted. 

His eyes widened, eyebrows shot up. "Since when?" he asked, slowing unbuttoning her blouse while he stared into her eyes. 

Her blush deepened. "That last town we were in...when I disappeared for a few hours." 

A knowing smile crossed his lips. "Always wondered what had happened to you," he replied, leaning down and kissing her again, fingers itching to rip her shirt from her body. 

She returned the kiss, her hands once again sliding down his chest and toward the zipper on his jeans as he pulled open her own shirt, revealing her lacy bra beneath. 

He helped her tug his pants and boxers off, completely unashamed to be naked in front of her. In fact, his eyes hadn't moved from the bra she was wearing. "Looks like you were expecting this," he grunted, attacking her jeans with the same fervor she'd shown him. 

"This happens to be my favorite bra," she informed him with a faint smile. 

Gently pushing her back onto the bed, he leaned over her and smirked. "Guess I'll be seeing it a lot, then," he whispered, moving over her and kissing her again. 

"I think you've already seen it a lot," she teased. 

"Not nearly enough, Chloe." He buried his head between her breasts and stroked her body to a feverish pitch just before entering her in one swift movement. Their collective groans mingled with the fast, almost desperate rhythms their bodies created. 

She whimpered as he pressed deep within her and she wound her legs around him, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him down for a kiss. 

He felt the thrill of her climax shoot through him, felt her stroking him, spasming around him. He picked up the pace, her peak causing him to come too quickly. With a jerky thrust, he let himself go, groaning loudly as he did.

Panting for breath, she laid her head back on the bed, closing her eyes. "God." 

"Yes?" he teased, completely breathless as he moved off her and laid next to her, eyes closed though a satisfied smirk remained on his lips. 

A short chuckle escaped her. "It's a good thing I love you." 

"It's my looks, I know," he lazily commented, a low chuckle in his chest. 

"More like...your heart." 

Touched, Dean pulled her to him, cradling her body to his and gently stroked her arm with his fingers. "You do see me," he whispered in her ear, warmed by the thought that she accepted him completely. 

She rested her palm over his heart. "You let me," she said just as softly, pressing a light kiss to his chin. 

He sighed, content to keep her locked in his arms forever. That couldn't happen, though, especially not with Gordon still on the loose. Reluctantly, he placed a quick kiss on her forehead. "Gotta go, love." 

"I know." She drew in a breath and pulled the blankets around herself shyly as she watched him dress. 

He smiled at her embarrassment. "Not like I haven't see you naked, you know." He grinned as he watched her eyes slide over his still mostly naked body. 

"I know," she said with a faint smile. "You know, you were right about something..." 

His eyes lit up. "That'd be a first," he muttered to himself as he pulled up his jeans. "About what?" he asked her, wishing he had x-ray vision to see beneath those covers she kept over her curvy body. 

"You are a damn fine man," she said with a lazy grin. 

Dean's grin oozed with confidence and cockiness. "And I'm with a damn fine woman. Could it get any better?" He tugged at the hem of the bedspread, trying to pull it off her. 

She chuckled, holding onto it tightly in a playful game of tug-of-war. 

He growled and pulled harder, seeing the glint of amusement in her eyes. "Don't make come in there after you," he warned. 

"Ooh, come get me tough guy," she teased. 

He yanked the covers off her, revealing her naked body and smirking. "Glad to," he whispered, a predatory gleam in his eyes and he moved towards her. 

She giggled and reached for the sheet. 

&&&&&

Sam was dying, and there was nothing she could do about it. The tears streaked down her face as she cradled his head, the blood oozing from the wound in his chest. "Sam," she cried, knowing he was beyond hearing her or anything. "I'll always love you. I can't live without you." 

She suddenly felt a hand gently shaking her, rocking her out of the nightmare, Sam's name still on her lips. She woke to see Sam crouched in front of her, eyes concerned. She felt the tears on her cheeks and wiped them away. "Sam?" she whispered, wondering about the time. 

"Hey, are you okay?" he whispered worriedly, his hand lingering on her arm. 

She put her hand over his and sat up with her free hand. "Fine, I'm fine. Just a bad dream, I guess." She used the bed sheet to wipe her face, shaken to the core that she could lose Sam somehow. That he'd die and she'd be forced to go on without him. She didn't meet his eyes, though her hand stayed on his. "What time is it?" 

"Still pretty early. Not quite seven thirty," he told her, not convinced she was really okay. "You uh...you wanna talk about it?" 

She turned sad, despairing eyes towards him. "Not really, Sam. I'm more concerned about you. How... how are you?" she asked, pulling him towards her. 

He hesitated a moment before sliding his arms around her. "I'm fine," he said quietly. 

"Good," she said softly, knowing he was anything but. Her arms went around his waist as she leaned into him. "I dreamed about you," she whispered after a moment. 

Sam flinched, not wanting to know what that dream had involved. "Oh yeah?" 

She sighed. "Yeah." Her arms tightened around him, thankful he was alive. And in one piece. She looked up at him, more unshed tears in her eyes. 

"Sorry," he said quietly, lowering his gaze to the floor. 

"About what?" she asked, touching her hand to his cheek. "It was just a dream. You're alive... and I won't have to watch you die." She choked on her words. It was the one thing she never wanted to see, because she knew she'd die without him. 

"You dreamt about me dying?" he asked in surprise, glancing up once more. 

She nodded, biting back the tears. "I watched you die in my arms. It was... It hurt. So badly." 

Sam gazed at her intently. "I just...assumed it was..." 

She smiled sadly. "No, Sam. No. You're a good man. My man... if you still feel that way, I mean." She gazed at him, intent that he understand how much she needed him, no matter what he was going through. 

He closed his eyes, not understanding how she and Chloe could have so much faith in him knowing what they did. "I love you. That hasn't changed." 

Sarah slipped out from underneath the covers and moved closer to him, burying her face into his chest. "It never will, either. What we have... it's too good for you to be evil." 

He drew in a breath, slowly wrapping his arms around her. And hoping like hell she was right. 

She sniffed and pulled away from him. "Did you sleep last night?" She looked at the other bed and noticed it didn't look mussed. She frowned as her eyes pulled back to him. 

"Not really," he admitted. 

"Figured as much," she replied, looking away. She stood up and smoothed her rumpled clothes down. "I want you to know we're all going to help you with this, Sam. But I'll bet... we should probably leave New Orleans." 

"Yeah. You're right. It's only a matter of time before Gordon..." He cut himself off, moving to the closet and grabbing his things. 

She stood in the middle of the room, watching him pack, her heart sinking. "I shoulda hit him harder," she whispered almost inaudibly. "Should have killed him." 

"Don't say that." He looked back at her, his eyes filled with intensity. 

"Why not?" she asked, meeting his eyes and holding it. "What gives him the right to do what he did? To you? To Chloe and me? What if he tries to go after you again?" She took a step towards him. "I am not going to let anything happen to you!" Her possessiveness scared her, but it was true. She'd die trying to help him dig into what he really was... if he truly was part demon. 

"Sarah." His voice was soft. "He's still a person. And you...your heart is far too beautiful to just take someone else's life." 

Reaching out, she touched his chest, just where his heart gently thudded under her touch. "Gordon's a monster of the human variety... and your heart's just as beautiful," she whispered. "There's no way you're even a bit demon." 

Sam swallowed hard. "Well, according to my dad...and Dean...you're wrong about that." 

She gazed at his pained, uncomfortable look and wondered. Truly, for the first time, she thought his brother and father were wrong. She just didn't know how. "Even if I am, I want you anyway," she whispered before turning away and towards the door. 

He looked down at the floor for a moment, before watching her leave the room. "Me too," he whispered after she'd shut the door. 

Sarah quickly went into the adjoining room and unlocked it with her key. Slipping inside, she had intended to simply pack her things and get back to Sam. Seeing Chloe and Dean playing tug of war with the comforter, both in varying stages of undress, was enough shock for the day. "Oh God," she said loudly, promptly turning her back on the scene.

"Shit," Dean shouted, jumping in front of Chloe to shield her from Sarah's eyes. "Hey, anyone ever teach you to knock?"

"Anyone needed to remind you that I have a key?" she called, her back turned. 

Her face flushing with embarrassment, Chloe quickly rolled off the bed, grabbing her clothes and tugging them on and tossing Dean's at him. "Get dressed," she hissed. 

"I'm dressing," he protested, yanking on his shirt and jeans. "Dammit, I should have locked the door."

"Ya think?" Sarah asked, biting her lip to contain her laughter. It took her a few tries, but she was able to get out, "So, we leaving this place or what?" 

"As soon as possible," Chloe said wryly, shaking her head a little and moving toward the closet to get her things. 

"Yeah, now would be good." Dean kissed Chloe one last time quickly and walked quickly towards the door. "You can look now, Sarah," he smirked as he left.

Flushing several shades of red, she turned and grabbed her bag. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I didn't know... I meant, Sam's getting his stuff packed and..." She felt too tongue-tied to say anything else. 

Her own face still red, she just shook her head again. "It's okay. I'm sorry. This is your room too." 

"It's kinda more your and Dean's room," she replied frankly, stuffing her things into her bag, uncaring how she looked at the moment. "You know, I don't have a problem sharing a room with Sam. I mean... I think he needs me right now." 

Chloe's expression immediately shifted at the mention of the younger Winchester. "How's he doing?" 

"Aside from scared and unsure of himself?" she asked, looking at her friend. "Chloe, I have to tell you... I don't think he's what Dean and their father thinks he is." She was hesitant to tell her this, but she had to tell someone. 

She tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?" she asked, her mind already starting to turn over what few facts they had. 

She zipped up her bag and went to the mirror, a little surprised to see her pale face standing out against her mussed hair. "I know Dean's father had told him Sam was half-demon," she replied, smoothing her hair to braid it. "I just... I know he's too good for that, ya know? I can't explain it. Gut reaction, I guess." She watched Chloe's reaction carefully from the mirror. 

She looked down at the floor. "That was my first reaction too," she admitted in a whisper. She met her friend's gaze in the mirror. "What are you thinking?" 

She frowned and turned around. "I'm not sure. I know research will be involved, but I have to ask... how did their father know Sam was half-demon? Was he born like that?" 

"I don't know." Winding her arms around herself, her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't think their dad told Dean how he knew, actually." 

"Crap," Sarah said out loud, putting her hand to her cheek. "I thought... that might be a place to start." She looked up at Chloe. "Will you help me out? I know you love Sam, too, Chloe, and I know you want to help him." 

She met Sarah's eyes with matched intensity, nodding slightly, sharing an unspoken agreement to learn the real truth--no matter what the cost.


End file.
